The Old Life, Alive Again
by XionRoxas1314
Summary: Roxas wishes everything in Organization XIII would go back to the way it was...but he never expected that would actually happen! Now he has to keep himself sane as he goes through all the trials that his wish brings. Xion x Roxas, Axel x Larxene.
1. Perplexing

The Old Life, Alive Again

Chapter 1 – Perplexing

…_I just wish everything would go back to normal…_

He turned around in his hard, dismal bed and rubbed his head. The last thing he remembered was falling rapidly toward the pavement. He let out a groan and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head."

Roxas' eyes flew open and he sat up abruptly. Now that he had his vision back, he noticed his surroundings. Also, he noticed that the familiar voice belonged to none other than Axel. "Wh-where am I?" he struggled to ask.

"Heh, where else?" Axel shrugged. "The castle."

Roxas blinked. "The castle? Where's Riku?" he asked, utterly confused.

Axel stepped back. "Who?"

Roxas was now completely perplexed. "The last thing I remember was Twilight Town…the clock tower…falling…and a voice…" he muttered.

"Huh? You have to speak up if you want people to hear you. Got it memorized?" Axel stated.

Axel's voice shook Roxas out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh yeah…" _"Somehow I'm back at the castle, in the organization…and Axel doesn't think it's strange…"_

"Well, c'mon, get out of bed! You know how grumpy Saix is before his morning coffee!" Axel exclaimed.

"Um…okay…" Roxas replied, uncertain.

Five minutes later, Roxas arrived in the main room. But as soon as he got a look around, he was shocked. There stood some members of the organization that had supposedly been terminated at Castle Oblivion.

"Wh-wh-wha?" Roxas stepped back, just to bump into Axel.

"Hey, you okay, kiddo? You look like you've seen a ghost," Axel said.

"Vexen…Zexion…Marluxia...THEY'RE ALIVE?!" Roxas gasped.

Axel shrugged. "Yeah, they always have been. Are you feeling okay?"

Roxas trembled but didn't answer. _"It must have been a dream…"_ he pondered.

As Roxas thought, Axel just stood there with his eyebrow raised. That is, until a voice interrupted Roxas' thoughts.

"Hey, Roxas."

"Huh?" Roxas turned around to see who had greeted him. There, in the hallway, stood a girl, about the same height as him, with dark black hair and stunning blue eyes. When Roxas saw her, he almost fell backwards. "Shi-shi-Xion?" he stuttered in awe.

"Yeah…" Xion answered slowly. Then she turned to Axel. "What has gotten into him?" she asked.

"Dunno," Axel shrugged. "He's acted like this ever since he got up. He thinks everyone is supposed to be dead." While Axel talked, Roxas just stood there shaking.

"You okay, Roxas?" Xion asked. "You're shaking. You haven't been playing any stressful video games have you?" (KINGDOM HEARTS IS SO STRESSFUL!!!)

"No-no….just nightmares," Roxas sighed.

"_I can't believe she's alive…"_

**Author's Note: This story takes place after KH 358/2 Days. I haven't even beat the game I just got info from online so excuuuuse me if this contradicts anything. But it's fan fiction, so I can make anything I want happen as long as I include a disclaimer. So here is my disclaimer: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS!!! So there. Sorry this chapter was short I just wanted to get this story out there to see what people think before I continue it. I was upset that Vexen and all those other people died, and same with Xion, so instead of suing Square Enix (XD) I decided to write this. **


	2. Just Like Old Times…Sorta

Chapter 2 – Just Like Old Times…Sorta

The dark corridor opened in one of Twilight Town's side streets and Roxas and Xion stepped out. They both examined their surroundings to make sure there wasn't a band of Heartless waiting to ambush them before Xion spoke.

"It's nice that Saix paired us together again, don't you think?" Xion asked smiling.

Roxas was at that time looking at his shoes. "Huh?" he then asked, looking up. "Oh, um, yeah it was."

A worried expression came over Xion's face. "Are you sure you're alright, Roxas?"

Without making eye contact, Roxas replied, "…Yeah."

Xion nodded. "Alright, then let's go find our target."

The two walked together in the street, but neither said a word. Usually when they were paired together all they would do was chat, stepping on Heartless' heads if they got lucky. But now Xion could tell that Roxas was in no mood for talking.

"_Poor guy," _the female Nobody thought. _"Probably had a nightmare."_

At that moment, Roxas suddenly stopped. "Xion…?" he began.

"Yeah?" Xion asked anxiously.

Roxas just stood there silently for a while before he spoke. "What…happened yesterday?" he asked slowly.

Xion paused to think. "Well it was an ordinary day…work…ice cream…you know," she replied with a smile. "Why? You don't remember it?"

Roxas stared up at the sky. "No…I barely remember it…"

Xion nodded. "Alright. Hey, if you're feeling bad, you could always go back and get examined by Vexen and I could do this mission alone…"

Roxas shook his head instantly. "No, that would be too dangerous. This giant Heartless takes two," he insisted. "Now come on and let's get over with this."

Xion let out a sigh. "Alright…"

They walked in silence for a while, encountering a few Heartlesses here and there. But not until they reached the top of Station Heights did they find their target – a giant menacing Heartless with long green tentacles.

* * *

After the two had successfully defeated the Heartless, it was time to RTC. Roxas was about to walk toward one of the side streets when Xion called out, "Aren't we going to get some ice cream first?"

Roxas turned around and rubbed his head. "Oh right, sorry, I'm just a little dizzy…" He then followed her to buy the ice cream and head atop the clock tower.

When they arrived at the top of the clock tower, Axel was already there, licking away at his ice cream. When he heard them coming, he turned around "Oh hey you two."

The two came up beside him and took a seat. "You're early," Xion observed.

"Yeah, my mission was easy-peasy. So I got to watch you and your giant Heartless. Nice performance. I actually thought you were going to RTC without ice cream, Roxas," Axel chuckled.

Roxas stared down at his melting ice cream. _"This is just like old times…the way I wanted it to be…if only I knew what was going on…"_ he thought.

"Roxas?" Xion asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Roxas looked up at her just to have his eyes lock onto her caring blue ones. "Yeah?" he inquired.

A small tender smile appeared on Xion's face. "You okay?"

On seeing that smile, Roxas suddenly forgot about his confusion, and a smile appeared on his own face. "Yeah," he replied, placing his gloved hand on top of hers. "I'm fine now."

Just when the tender moment was getting at its peak, Axel let out a laugh, ruining it. "Heh, well this is something new."

Roxas looked over at Axel. "If you had gone through the nightmare I did, you'd understand…"


	3. Somewhat Getting Used to It

Chapter 3 – Somewhat Getting Used to It

"_He's out cold! What do we do?"_

"_Take him to The Blue One, he'll know what to do."_

"_Ugh…Xion…Xion!"_

_

* * *

_

"Morning, Roxas," Xion greeted with a smile as the boy entered the Grey Room. "You and I are paired together again."

"Yup, and I'm paired with Demyx, what fun," Axel said sarcastically, coming up from behind.

A half-smile appeared on Roxas' face.

"So, are you going to be a zombie again today or are you better?" Axel asked, folding his arms in a comfortable position.

"I'm…better," Roxas answered. "I didn't have any strange dreams last night. Though, I did have this dream where there was this dog stuck in a tree and then something about electricity…and a door…and cactus…"

Xion giggled. "Wow, Roxas, what a crazy dream!"

Roxas grinned. "What, I didn't even tell you the one about the ninja and the cell phone and the horse thieves!" All three friends burst out laughing.

"Did I tell you about the dream I had once?" asked Axel. "I shrunk and was put in this mini plane and I was trying to find my mommy in a cola supermarket!"

Roxas laughed hysterically, clenching his stomach. "I…don't get it…" he said between laughs. "If I'm laughing then why does my stomach hurt?"

"It's something to do with the muscles, man. Studies show that laughing is actually a good work-out. Got it memorized?" Axel explained, in a 'know-it-all' fashion.

But Axel's words just made Roxas, along with Xion, laugh even harder. They imagined Axel lifting weights and performing other work-out exercises.

"Careful…Roxas…!" Xion manage to say amid laughs. "If you laugh too hard you'll fall over!"

"Haha…so will you!" Roxas replied, still laughing as hard as ever.

"Heh, why are we even laughing?" Axel chuckled.

"I don't-" Roxas froze when he noticed a tall shadow looming over him. He turned around to see Saix standing there, tapping his foot.

"Whenever you're ready, DEPART," Saix said strictly.

"Aw, c'mon, Saix, we were just laughing," Axel said.

"There is a time for laughing, and there is a time for working," Saix began. Then he glared down at Xion and Roxas. "And I'm_ sure_ you know what time it is now." With that, Saix walked away.

"Alright, you two, I think you better get going on that mission. Old sour puss seems to be grouchier than usual," Axel told his two friends.

"Yeah, did like someone put salt in his coffee instead of sugar?" Demyx said, walking up, his sitar in hand.

"Heh, I think that would taste good," Axel remarked.

"Figures you'd say that, Mr. Sea Salt Ice Cream," Xion giggled.

Demyx lightly strummed his sitar. "So do you sing, Axel? 'Cause I really could use a partner for that one talent show the organization is holding."

Roxas tilted his head. "Talent show? What talent show?" _"Great, more confusion."_

"The one I'm going to beg Xemnas for," Demyx replied, striking a pose with his sitar.

"Hah, right," Axel chuckled. "Good luck with that."

"So c'mon, do ya sing or something, dude?" Demyx asked Axel eagerly.

Axel was about to shake his head when Roxas said, "Yeah, he sang quite a bit yesterday when he was drunk on ice cream."

"Drunk?" Demyx inquired, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hyper," Axel corrected, un-amused.

"Yeah, he sang quite a big yesterday," Xion added with a laugh.

Demyx looked eagerly over at Axel. "Well, c'mon! Sing!"

Axel shook his head and crossed his arms. "You'll have to catch me hyper again to hear me, man," he replied simply.

Demyx groaned. "Well who else in this lousy organization has talent?"

At that moment, Saix appeared. "I thought I told you to depart," he said strictly.

"Right, we will," Roxas replied, nodding his head quickly.

"Try to get Axel hyper again after work," Demyx whispered to them, winking. Then he turned to Axel. "Ready to go (and do all the work), buddy?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Alright, but you're going to have to do SOME work, got it memorized?"

"Oh, I will," Demyx promised. But behind his back, he crossed his fingers.

* * *

The dark corridor opened up in Agrabah and Xion and Roxas walked out.

"Collect hearts and defeat Heartless," Roxas sighed. "Such a typical mission."

"Well, at least we're paired together, right?" Xion asked with a smile.

A grin appeared on Roxas' face. "Right."

Xion was about to ask Roxas what was up with him the other day when they heard voices. Remembering their orders to not interact with the people, they ducked behind a building and watched from afar. They could see that one man named Aladdin, and also the blue Genie were talking.

"Since when do you show up in strange towns and tell children to call you 'The Blue One'?" Aladdin asked the Genie, somewhat amused.

"What? Can't a guy have fun?" the Genie asked, grinning.

"So who was that kid that you attended to?" Aladdin asked, putting one hand on his hip.

"A friend," the Genie replied simply.

Aladdin raised an eyebrow. "You didn't do anything to him, did you?" he asked.

"Me?" the Genie asked in mock innocence. "Have you ever known me to hurt a child, Al?"

"That's not what I meant," Aladdin said. "How exactly did you help this fallen victim?"

The Genie twisted his great blue hands together. "Well…you know…a little magic here…a little magic there…"

Aladdin looked at his friend suspiciously. "Hm…you seem to be hiding something…" Suddenly they heard a female voice call out "Aladdin!" Aladdin walked inside one of the buildings, but not before promising he would get to the bottom of this.

"Hm, well that was strange," Xion shrugged.

"Yeah, sounds like some kid got hurt," Roxas remarked.

Suddenly, something flashed through Xion's mind.

"_Hey kid? You alive?"_

As Roxas turned around to tell Xion something, the girl collapsed to the ground. Roxas gasped, and immediately kneeled down to Xion's aid. "No! Xion!"


	4. A Mission in Agrabah

Chapter 4 - A Mission in Agrabah

"Xion! Wake up! Xion!" Roxas called urgently to the unconscious Xion. Luckily when the girl fell, she landed in a pile of sand, so she wasn't injured –physically. But that didn't ease any of Roxas' worries. "Wait a minute, I don't have a heart. So how am I even worrying? Ugh everything is so confusing!" he said to himself. Then he started to lightly tap the side of Xion's face. "Xion…please…wake up…" Just then, in the corner of his eye, he spotted a bucket of water sitting by its lonesome at an abandoned stand. He got up and fetched the bucket, and then returned to his unconscious friend. "Sorry, Xion, this will be wet…" he began. Then he shut his eyes tightly and poured the whole bucket of water on number XIV's face.

The instant the cold water made contact with Xion's face, her eyes shot open. Roxas kneeled quickly at her side and started to dry off her face with the end of his coat. Xion rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple of times. "What…?"

"Sorry about that, you fainted for some reason," Roxas apologized, half smiling.

The female Nobody slowly rubbed her head and sat up slightly. "Yes…I heard a distant voice…it…shocked my ears…" she managed the recall.

Roxas looked thoughtful. "Hm…I guess we'll have to ask Axel about that," he said. Then he offered Xion a hand. "Come on, fighting Heartless in the hot sun will definitely dry you off."

Xion giggled. "Thanks, Roxas," she said with a smile.

"For what?" Roxas asked curiously.

"For cooling me off," Xion replied simply. "Are you sure you don't want a splash down as well?" She gestured over to another pail of water that was located on the opposite side of the street.

"Well, I don't know…" Roxas began. Then he turned around to scan his surroundings. "I can't see any Heartless up there can y-" But at that moment, Xion had sneaked up behind him with the bucket and doused him with water. In result of the cold water suddenly making an impact with his head, he let out a gasp. Xion laughed in delight as number XIII turned around to face her. "Xion!" he began. But when he saw how much this amused his friend, his scowl turned into a grin. He quickly fetched another bucket of full water from an abandoned stand and started to chase after Xion. "Get back here you!"

Xion raced over to another stand where stood yet another bucket of water. She quickly picked it up and started to run away from Roxas as fast as she could. "Haha, catch me if you can!" she laughed. She then jumped up on top of a box and climbed up to the rooftops. Then number XIV picked up a treasure chest that was located on the roof and dropped it down on the box, which split the box into pieces.

"Hey, no fair!" Roxas complained, though his voice was full of laughter.

"Try to catch me now!" Xion teased.

Roxas glanced around the street. He knew that if he searched for another box to climb on top of, Xion would pour her bucket of water down on him. But then again, that would leave her bucket-less and vulnerable. She would have to come down off of the rooftops to get another bucket, because there weren't any on top of the roves. That is when he could make his attack. But he had to somehow make Xion accidently spill her bucket without soaking him again. He started to run around crazily, pretending that he was searching for something. "Xion, you little sneak!" he laughed.

Up on the roof tops, Xion was running back and force, trying to align herself with Roxas for a direct shot. And down below Roxas was running around crazily in the center of the street, waiting for Xion to take a shot. Time passed, but neither of them had accomplished what they wanted to. Suddenly, an idea popped into Roxas' head. Without any warning, he used his magic and shot an ice ball just to the right of Xion.

"Haha missed me!" she teased, and kept on running. But she didn't realize that Roxas' plan wasn't to hit her – it was to trip her. As soon as her boot came in contact with the block of ice, she lost her balance, dropped her bucket, and began to fall.

The second his friend became to fall, Roxas realized just how high up the building she was falling off was. He quickly dropped his bucket, not caring that it spilt, and raced over just in time to catch her in his arms.

Shocked at the events that had just taken place, Xion blinked. She glanced over to see that Roxas' bucket of water had been left spilt and lying in the sand.

"Sorry about that," Roxas apologized, smiling kindly. "I didn't realize how high up you were."

Xion grinned. "That's alright. But wasn't that fun?"

Roxas gently set Xion down on her feet. "Yeah, it was. But Saix would kill us if he found out we were slacking off. So we better stick to the mission."

Number XIV shrugged. "Well, we know there aren't any Heartless in this area of Agrabah. Let's go look elsewhere."

Suddenly, the sound of voices reached their ears, so they ducked behind a building to avoid being seen.

"What in Agrabah?" the Genie gasped when he saw the mess.

"Woah, what happened here?" Aladdin asked.

"Some lousy kids wasted all our water!" the Genie exclaimed. "I'll get to the bottom of this, don't worry, Al!"

Aladdin grinned, somewhat amused. "Alright, whatever you say." And with that, he walked back into the building.

"Uh, oh, I think we're in trouble," Xion whispered to Roxas.

"Yeah," Roxas replied softly. "Quickly, let's make our way to the next area."

The two Nobodies silently moved toward the exit, keeping to the back of the building. Luckily, the Genie didn't spot them, and they made their way safely to the next area. When they were sure that they were out of site, Roxas released his breath.

"Wow, that was a close one," Xion remarked. "If I had a heart you could probably have heard it beating from a mile away."

At that moment, several fire plants appeared, giving the Nobodies no time to long for hearts. It was battle time! They each summoned their keyblades and began to strike the heads of the emblem heartless mercilessly. Only receiving a few blows, they managed to defeat these plant-like pests in no time.

Xion dusted off her gloves. "Alright, now let's go find the others." She was about to walk towards one of the buildings when Roxas caught her hand.

"Xion, wait," he said in a soft tone of voice.

Xion stopped and turned around to face him. "What is it, Roxas?" she asked curiously.

There was a pause before Roxas continued. "I…swear something's not right…I mean…it was so real…"

"What are you talking about, Roxas?" Xion inquired. She was totally confused.

Roxas swallowed some air and continued. "Don't you have the feeling something's not right? I mean, I tried to pass it off as a nightmare, but it seemed so long…so real…and I remember exactly what you said…"

Number XIV tilted her head. "What I…said?"

Roxas' head nodded slowly. "Yeah…before you…died."

Xion blinked. "I died?"

Roxas nodded again, and then let some time elapse before he spoke again. "Yeah…but here you are now. And the other members – Vexen, Marluxia, Larxene, Lexaeus, Zexion - they're alive too. But…they're not supposed to be…Xion…don't you know who you are?"

Xion was somewhat startled by the question. "Yeah, I'm…an imperfect replica of you…created from Sora's leaked memories…but I don't like talking about it…"

Roxas blinked. "Then…how are you alive?"

Suddenly, a number of scarlet tangos appeared and started to shoot at them.

"We'll talk about this later," Xion said quickly, and then started to slash up the heartless with her keyblade.

Roxas tried to concentrate on the fight, but his mind was elsewhere. Scenes of Xion's death floated through his mind.

_"Goodbye, Roxas... See you again. I'm glad... I got to meet you. Oh... and of course, Axel, too. You're both my best friends. Never forget. That's the truth."_

"_No! Xion! Who else will I have ice cream with?"_

It seemed so real…yet there she was…beating the brains out of those heartless.

"Something isn't right…"

"Roxas! Look out!" Xion suddenly cried. She dashed to Roxas and pushed him out of the way of a fire plant, which was just about to set the boy ablaze. She counteracted the heartless' attack, and finished it off quickly. When all the heartless in that area had been eliminated, she let out her breath. "That was a close one."

Roxas nodded silently and put away his keyblade. "Is the mission over?" he asked. Xion nodded in response. "Alright…lets RTC."

Xion put away her own keyblade and followed him. "Wait, aren't we going to Twilight Town first?"

Roxas didn't look but back, but replied, "Uh, yeah, sure, whatever."

There was silence for a while before Xion stopped. Roxas stopped too, but didn't turn around to see what the matter was. "Come on, Roxas, cheer up," Xion pleaded. "I'm just as confused as you are. I know…who I am…and it somewhat disturbs me. And now you're saying that I'm not even supposed to be alive…it confuses me too. And I had the strangest dream last night too and also a flashback of that dream before I collapsed. But when we have ice cream…we're with friends. So let's forget our problems, okay?"

Roxas slowly turned around to face Xion, who was smiling sweetly at him. He took in a deep breath and walked back a bit so he could be next to her. "Alright, let's go."

Xion gasped lightly as she felt Roxas take her hand in his. She glanced down at their hands before she looked back up at him. "Thanks Roxas."

As they left Agrabah through the dark corridor, the blue Genie watched in the shadows. "Honestly, that's gratitude," he said, shaking his head in disapproval.


	5. Sea Salt Ice Cream

Chapter 5 – Sea Salt Ice Cream

Axel sat atop of the clock tower in Twilight Town, watching the one-car train pass by. In his gloved hand was a stick of sea salt ice cream, which he licked at periodically. His head was full of thoughts, most of them concerning Roxas' strange behavior.

Suddenly, he heard some laughing, so he turned around to see Xion and Roxas come around the corner.

"Hey you two, you're late again," Axel teased as they both took their usual seats, ice cream in hand. "Maybe Saix shouldn't pair you together, because you dawdle too much."

"Sorry, we took the long route here," Roxas said, taking a small bite of his ice cream.

"The long route?" Axel asked. "And that is?"

Xion let out a laugh. "From Agrabah to Beast's Castle to here," she said.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Beast's Castle? You were only assigned to Agrabah, why did you go there?"

"Just to have a look around," Roxas answered, looking out at the setting sun. "Also, I wanted to learn more about a certain subject."

"In other words, you were spying," Axel said, pointing his ice cream at number XIII. Then he shook his head in disapproval. "Roxas, Roxas, Roxas."

"Hey, we weren't spying," Xion defended. "There weren't many Heartless in Agrabah, so we figured we'd collect a few more hearts to please Saix." She then took a bite out of her salty ice cream.

Axel folded his slender arms across his chest. "Yeah, but I bet you also spied on the castle's master and Belle," he said.

Roxas stopped in mid-lick. "Belle? How'd you know about Belle?"

"What, do you think I'm not allowed to have missions there?" number VIII asked, shrugging. "I've preformed recons there once or twice. The castle's master is…very interesting indeed."

Xion nodded. "Yeah he is. But this Belle is also peculiar," she said.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. "She really seems to care for the Beast and vice-versa. I don't get that. Xaldin said…"

"Man, you told me this already," Axel interrupted, scratching the back of his head.

Roxas looked surprised and tried to think back. "Oh yeah…I think I did."

Xion looked confused. "Told you what?" she asked.

"What Xaldin said," Axel answered with a shrug.

"When?" she inquired, looking at her friends.

"Just after I defeated that one machine thing…" Roxas explained, just recalling the situation himself. "The Beast was fighting the Heartless himself to protect the castle…and Belle."

Xion tilted her head. "Why? Was Belle his friend or something?"

"Xaldin called it 'L-" Roxas began.

"Yeah, you could call it that," Axel interrupted, answering Xion's question. "But anyways, it can't be explained to a bunch of Nobodies, right?"

Roxas looked down at his melting ice cream. "Yeah…I guess not. But I do wish I understood –"

"Man, we're Nobodies, we can't understand everything. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

"Yeah," Roxas replied quietly. _"Why does he always interrupt me when I'm about to ask about…?" _His thoughts were interrupted by Xion.

"So, Axel, how was your mission with Demyx?" she asked, biting into her ice cream. "It didn't seem to take you too long."

"Yeah, but it was awful," the red-haired Nobody replied, licking the last of his ice cream off the stick. "Demyx was really annoying, and he kept trying to get me to sing."

"Hah, that must've been fun," Roxas teased, looking up at his friend.

"Saix really hates me or something," Axel muttered, shaking his head. "You know, we were in the middle of battling Heartless, and Demyx still tried to persuade me to sing."

Roxas and Xion laughed simultaneously. "Wow, poor you," Xion said.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. But I wouldn't know how that feels, I've been lucky enough to be paired with a great friend."

Xion's face began to grow hot. "Thanks. Uhm…Axel, you're not taking out your weapons are you?"

Axel looked confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Xion turned her face away. "Well, it's nothing; it's just my face feels hot for some reason…"

Roxas looked over to Axel with a concerned expression, expecting him to explain Xion's condition. But Axel just shrugged and said, "It's nothing, you'll get over it." Before his two friends could ask him anymore, he changed the subject. "Hey, well look at that," he said, looking down at his stick. "Finished my ice cream already. Well, I'm gonna go get another one. Be back soon." Axel then got up and headed down the clock tower, leaving Xion and Roxas alone.

"Oh no, he's going to get hyper again," Roxas laughed, watching Axel climb down the tower.

Xion let out a sigh and turned to face Roxas. "Roxas…I think there might be something wrong with me. Earlier in Agrabah my face grew hot, and just a minute ago it did it again."

Roxas quickly turned to face Xion. "Yeah, it is strange. I think that happened to me once. But I don't know how…or why. Axel isn't telling us something."

"He isn't telling us a lot of things," Xion said quietly, looking down at her half eaten ice cream. "Why do you think he doesn't want to answer our questions?"

Roxas thought for a while. "Probably…because he doesn't know the answer to them himself. I mean, he's a Nobody just like us. We would probably get better answers from a real person."

Xion nodded. "Yeah, but we probably wouldn't be able to understand the answers anyways…it stinks not having a heart…"

Suddenly everything fell completely silent, and nothing could be heard, save the sound of the far away train.

At length, Xion spoke up. "Roxas…what was the thing you were trying to ask Axel about? Something Xaldin mentioned…"

Roxas turned his focus on his friend. "Right, it was something called l-"

At that moment, none other than Axel came back, interrupting Roxas. "Hey you two I'm back!" He was holding not one, not two, but SIX more ice cream bars. Both Xion and Roxas' eyes grew in terror when they saw how much ice cream Axel planned to eat.

"Axel…are you going to eat all of those?" Xion asked.

"Yeah…" Axel replied, taking a seat. "Why, do you want some?"

Xion rapidly shook her head. "No, one is enough for me."

"Suit yourself," Axel shrugged. Then he began to madly lick at one of his ice creams.

Xion looked down at her half eaten ice cream which was dripping on her gloves. As she brought it up to her mouth and finished it up, she noticed that Axel was too intent on stuffing himself with sugar that he probably wasn't aware of anything else going on. So she leaned closer to Roxas and whispered, "Let's gossip about Axel to each other and see if he notices."

Roxas was surprised by this suggestion, but he thought it would be fun. So, suppressing a laugh, he began in a loud whisper, "So, Xion, have you heard the latest news about Axel?"

Xion put on a shocked expression as she whispered back. "The thing about the toe jelly?"

A large mischievous grin stretched across Roxas' face. "Nah, this is waaaay more interesting."

Number XIV sat up straight. "Ooh, do tell!"

Roxas leaned in even closer to Xion but made sure his voice was loud enough for Axel to hear. "So yesterday, Xigbar caught him giving Larxene a foot massage."

Xion tilted her head. "What's so juicy about that? She probably made him do that."

Roxas' grin grew wider. "With his tongue?" Xion started to burst out with giggles, and Roxas chuckled himself. This made Axel stop in mid-lick and take notice. "And did you hear about all those diary entries?" Roxas continued. "He writes that his favorite days are August 12 and December 8."

"Not true!" Axel protested. "There is NOTHING between me and Larxene."

"Sugar-high man lies," Roxas teased, sticking out his tongue. "We all know why you won't explain to me what love means! It's because every time you hear that word you think of Larxene!"

Xion paused. "Love? What's that?"

"Look, a flying walrus!" Axel cried out, pointing straight ahead. He was hyper alright, but he was also trying to change the topic.

Roxas let out a laugh. "Whatever, we know that's why you don't want to talk about it!"

"Talk about what?" Axel asked. "I never said I didn't want to talk about flying walruses!" He stuck an ice cream pop into his mouth.

Roxas slapped his forehead. "Never mind, I know I won't get any answers from you now. Hand me an ice cream, will ya?"

As Roxas took an ice cream from Axel, Xion's eyes grew in horror. "Roxas, what are you doing?"

Roxas took a bite out of the ice cream and shrugged. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

"Wow, I've never seen you hyper, Roxas," Xion said with an amused grin. "This will be a treat."

"Yeah," Axel said. "Now we can both sing the "Sneeze if You Need To" song."

Xion groaned. "Oh, please, not that song."

Axel took another bite out of his ice cream fiercely before breaking out into song. "Sneeeeze if you have to! Sneeeeeze if you need to! Don't hold it in, just remember to cover your mouth with a tissue, I will assist you…"

Number XIV covered her ears. "Augh, make it stop!"

"Fine, if you don't like that song then I'll sing the bellybutton one," Axel said.

Roxas laughed. "That one is the most random…"

"If you sing that song, I will push you off the clock tower!" Xion exclaimed.

"Well what about the monkey song?" Axel asked in a pleading voice.

Xion shook her head. "No."

There was a short stretch of silence before Roxas silently leaned closer to Xion and softly sang. As he sang, the volume increased. "If it doesn't have a tail it's not a monkey, even if it has a monkey kind of shape, if it doesn't have a tail it's not a monkey, if it doesn't have a tail it's not a monkey it's an APE!"

"Hey, not that song!" Xion exclaimed, though her voice was filled with laughter. She shoved Roxas away from her, which resulted in hitting Axel.

"Hey, I don't want him!" Axel protested. He pushed him away from his ice cream stash, sending him back to Xion.

"Well neither do I!" Xion exclaimed, elbowing Roxas back to Axel.

"You so do!" Axel teased, hitting Roxas away.

"Do not!" she insisted, giving Roxas to Axel.

"Do too!" Axel fought back, returning the "present".

"I feel like a ping pong ball," Roxas said dizzily as he was passed back and force.

"I do not!" Xion argued.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Oh you so do!"

"Nah-uh!"

"Care me to quote your diary?"

Xion's eyes grew wide and she suddenly stopped passing Roxas back to Axel. Roxas straightened himself out and tried to get the world to stop spinning. "What do you mean quote my diary?"

"What I mean is, I've seen it," Axel said with a wink, licking his ice cream.

"There my face goes again, feeling hot," Xion muttered.

"Well it _does_ look red," Roxas remarked. He looked over at Axel. "Axel, why is Xion's face turning red?"

Axel turned to look Roxas in the eye, a very serious expression on his face. Suddenly, however, his expression turned wacky. "'CAUSE SHE'S NOT A MONKEY SHE'S AN APE!"

"Ugh, hyper Axel," Roxas groaned. Then he remembered that he too was hyper. "Yay! Hyper me!"

Xion chuckled. "Are you sure you two are in the right condition to be up here?" she asked. "You might fall off."

"Nah, we won't do that," Axel reassured her, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand. "We'll just be incredibly obnoxious to annoy you."

Xion rolled her eyes. "Oh great."

Roxas grinned from ear-to-ear. "Hey, what are friends for?" he teased.

Xion just turned her head away and stared off into the sunset. _"I'm glad Roxas is enjoying himself,"_ she thought. Just then, a loud burp coming from Axel's directing distracted her.

"Boy, ice cream is good," he sighed pleasantly, leaning back. "I could eat fifty truck loads of this."

"Without getting sick?" number XIV asked in horror.

"Nah, I don't know," Axel shrugged, tossing a stick to the side. "But if I did get sick, I wouldn't get stuck with Demyx as a partner."

A mischievous grin stretched across Roxas' face. "Speaking about Demyx, wouldn't he just _love_ to hear you sing right now? I think I'll go get him." He got up and was about to walk down the clock tower when Axel grabbed his leg, causing him to trip.

"Oh, no you don't!" number VIII exclaimed. "If I'm singing, then so are you!"

Roxas got up and retook his seat. "Never mind," he grumbled.

After a moment of licking ice cream, Axel casually turned to face Xion, pointing his stick at her. "Anyways, about your diary, it was very interesting. It said-"

"Oh my goodness, Roxas is turning into a purple monkey!" Xion shrieked, changing the subject.

Roxas quickly looked down at his hands. "What? I am?"

Axel burst out laughing, roughly hitting Roxas on the back. "You sure are," he joked.

"How am I a purple monkey?" Roxas asked, confused. "If anyone's a purple monkey, it's you, Axel. You always make those lame volcano jokes."

"What does volcano jokes have to do with purple monkeys?" Axel questioned. "Don't blow your top!"

"Ugh, there's that lame volcano joke again," Roxas muttered, finishing his second ice cream. He looked at the stick to make sure it didn't say WINNER on it before tossing it off the clock tower. Suddenly down below, they heard an obnoxious quacking noise, and they say a little white figure look up and shake his fist at them. "Sorry!" Roxas called down.

"Simply amazing, Roxas," Axel teased. "What do you have against ducks?"

Roxas stuck out his tongue at Axel. "What do _you_ have against talking vegetables?"

"Talking vegetables?" Xion asked, confused.

"I…" Roxas began, taking in a deep breath. "Have no clue."

All three of them burst out laughing, and they didn't stop until Axel said, "Man, reading your diaries is so much fun!"

Both Roxas' and Xion's pupils dilated. "Well…uh…," Roxas began, trying to recall what he had learned once by sneaking a peak at Axel's diary. "Reading yours is so much fun too, LEA!"

Xion started to giggle. "Haha, Lea?"

"If you mention my other's name once more time I'll hit you with this ice cream!" Axel threatened, his brows furrowing.

Roxas grinned smugly. "Le-a."

"That's it!" Axel shouted. He took his ice cream pop and wacked Roxas in the face.

Xion let out a gasp, and then burst out laughing. Roxas himself was also laughing as he wiped the sticky substance off his face.

After the laughter had died down, Roxas let out a sigh. "Man, having friends like you guys is awesome," he said, wrapping an arm around Xion. "I hope, _this time_, we will always have each other."

Xion and Axel looked curiously over at Roxas, wondering what he meant by "this time", but said nothing. And that is how the enjoyable evening came to a close.


	6. A Breakfast to Remember

Chapter 6 – A Breakfast to Remember

"_Briiiing briiiing!"_

The obnoxiously loud ringing of Roxas' alarm clock woke number XIII out of deep sleep. "Ugh," he groaned. "And I was having a good dream." He pulled his pillow over his head and tried to ignore the constant ringing, but soon the noise became unbearable. "Shut up!" he shouted at the inanimate object. He swung his fist at it, which knocked it off his stand and sent it falling out the open window. "Finally, silence," he mumbled, and buried himself in the thin covers.

Meanwhile, down at the foot of the castle, Xemnas was pleasantly walking out to the mail box to pick up the latest copy of _The Xigbar Daily_. He felt so upbeat that he was actually whistling a soft tune. "Wonder what news Xigbar has dug up today," he said as he opened the mail box. Suddenly, as he reached for the contents inside it, an unidentified object landed on his head. "What in the Oblivion?" he exclaimed, rubbing his sore noggin. Looking down at the object, the leader of Organization XIII realized that it was a broken Mickey Mouse-shaped alarm clock. "Urg!" he growled.

* * *

"Morning, sleepyhead," Axel greeted with a laugh as Roxas took a seat around the breakfast table.

Roxas let out a yawn. "Morning."

"Still sleepy, huh? Yeah, I was pretty sugar-high myself last night, so I had trouble drifting off to sleep too," Axel said, rubbing the back of his head. All Roxas did blink a couple times. "So, you gonna order breakfast? Today we have two choices – Marluxia's extremely sweet pancakes or Larxene's extremely sour bacon."

Roxas crinkled his nose. "Ew! Sour bacon? Who in their right mind would order that?"

At that moment, Moogle came up and asked, "So are you going to order, kupo?"

"Yeah, I'll have a couple strips of Larxene's bacon," Axel replied.

Roxas, who just began sipping his tea, spat it out. "What?" he asked, laughing. "I thought you said it was sour! You like Larxene, don't you?"

"Heh, of course not!" Axel replied. "I'm a Nobody, got it memorized? I just happen to like sour bacon."

Roxas eyed his friend suspiciously. Was it just his imagination or was Axel's face slightly redder than usual?

"Gotcha. You gonna order, kupo?" Moogle asked, looking up at Roxas.

Just then Xion walked in and took a seat at the table. "Morning, guys," she said.

"Morning, Xion," Roxas responded with a grin. Axel just chuckled.

"So, are you going to order or not?" Moogle asked, getting impatient.

Roxas turned his attention back to Moogle. "Oh, sorry," he apologized. "Um, I'll have the pancakes I guess…what about you, Xion?"

"What's the other choice?" number XIV asked.

"Sour bacon made by Axel's girlfriend," Roxas replied slyly.

"Hey!" Axel protested, nearly choking on his sea-salt tea.

Xion laughed. "Nah, I think I'll have the pancakes," she told Moogle. Moogle let out a sigh of relief and walked away.

"Haha, good choice," Roxas said. "Even though they're made by Marluxia."

Xion's blue eyes expanded. "Haven't we had enough sugar already?" she asked with a laugh.

At that moment, the door flew open and Xemnas entered, his hands behind his back, and a monstrous expression on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" Xion whispered to Roxas. "He looks like Saix."

"Alright," Xemnas began in a growly voice. "Who in here is a Mickey Mouse fan?"

Roxas' hand shot up immediately. "Ooh! Ooh! Me!" he exclaimed.

Xemnas took one of his hands out from behind his back and flung the broken alarm clock at Roxas. Roxas just sat there as it landed on the table in front of him, looking at it in shock. The other members who were in the room were silent. "Next time I won't be so easy on you," he grumbled, turning around. And with that being said, he left.

"Heh, what was that about?" Axel asked as the room rose back to its normal noise level.

"Yeah," Xion said. "Man, if that was Saix, he wouldn't have aimed for the table."

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Heh, well I was really sleepy when my alarm clock so I kinda threw it out the window."

Both of his friends left out a laugh. "Haha, that reminds me of those lame 'time fly' jokes," Axel put in.

Xion crinkled her nose. "Ugh, those are so cheesy," she commented.

The kitchen door opened and Larxene stepped out. "Ugh, I'm so glad to be out of there," she said to herself. "Marluxia doesn't know when to stop!"

"Stop what?" Xigbar asked, turning around in his chair with a notebook in hand. Ever since he started up in the magazine business he had been more interested in the happenings of the members.

"Stop adding sugar in his pancakes!" Larxene replied. "What did you think?" She only had to stare at Xigbar's grinning face for a couple seconds before she realized. "Pervert!" she exclaimed, slapping him.

Roxas elbowed Axel. "Hey, Axel, you jealous that Marluxia gets to work in the kitchen with Larxene?" he teased.

"Just quit it!" Axel replied, somewhat testily. "We're all Nobodies, so we don't feel for people like that!"

"Oh," Roxas and Xion said quietly. Suddenly they looked up at each other, wondering why they had both said that simultaneously. But their curiosity was interrupted by Demyx, the Melodious Nocturne.

"Hey, guys!" he said, giving them a thumbs up. "Wanna hear a new song I learned? It even has words to it!" He looked very enthusiastic.

"Uhh…sure?" Roxas said, uncertain if letting Demyx sing was a wise decision.

"Yay!" Demyx exclaimed happily as he summoned his sitar. "If I persuade Xemnas to hold a talent contest, I'll surely enter with this song!" he gushed while taking a seat.

Axel looked up from his cup of tea and saw Demyx about to perform. Suddenly he realized what his friends had been talking about. "You're not seriously thinking about _singing_ with that thing, are you?" he asked skeptically.

Demyx, who had just opened his mouth to let out a note, shut it, insulted. Before he could complain, Larxene walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't listen to him…I'll sing it for you," she said arrogantly.

"Well thanks," Demyx said sarcastically.

"No problem," Larxene said confidently. "So…what am I singing?"

Demyx rolls his eyes. "Fine, I'll tell you." He leaned over and whispered the name of the song in her ear. Then, pulling back, he asked, "Do you know that one?"

"Do I _know_ that one?" Larxene asked incredulously. "Of course I do! It's so ironic it's hilarious!"

"I know, right?" Demyx agreed.

Axel, who was never a fan of long small talk and was slightly jealous of how well Larxene and Demyx were getting along, irritably exclaimed, "Just sing it already!"

"Well, you don't have to be so testy," Larxene remarked. "But, as you wish…HIT IT, DEMYX!"

"Heh, finally," Demyx said. With that, he began to play and Larxene accompanied him with her voice.

"_Come stop your crying_

_It will be alright_

_Just take my hand_

_Hold it tight_

_I will protect you_

_From all around you_

_I will be here_

_Don't you cry_

_For one so small_

_You seem so strong_

_My arms will hold you_

_Keep you safe and warm_

_This bond between us_

_Can't be broken_

_I will be here don't you cry_

_Cause you'll be in my heart_

_Yes, you'll be in my heart_

_From this day on_

_Now and forever more_

_You'll be in my heart_

_No matter what they say_

_You'll be here in my heart_

_Always_."

At that, Larxene winked at Axel. Axel was surprised but delighted.

Larxene continued; _"Why can't they understand_

_the way we feel_

_They just don't trust_

_What they can't explain_

_I know we're different_

_But deep inside us_

_We're not that different at all_

_And you'll be in my heart_

_Yes, you'll be in my heart_

_From this day on_

_Now and forever more_

_Don't listen to them_

_Cause what do they know?_

_We need each other_

_To have, to hold_

_They'll see in time_

_I know_

_When destiny calls you_

_You must be strong_ -"

By this point in the song, Roxas and Xion found themselves indentifying with the lyrics. They exchanged knowing glances. Secretly they wished they could be holding each other's hands.

"_I may not be with you_

_But you've got to hold on_

_They'll see in time_

_I know_

_We'll show them together_

_Cause you'll be in my heart_

_Believe me, you'll be in my heart_

_I'll be there from this day on_

_Now and forever more_

_Oooo, you'll be in my heart_

_You'll be here in my heart_

_No matter what they say_

_I'll be with you_

_You'll be here in my heart_

_I'll be there always_

_Always_

_I'll be with you_

_I'll be there for you always_

_Always and always_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_I'll be there always," _Larxene finished. When she looked up at her audience, she noticed Axel looking over his shoulder. "Nice!" she laughed, amused.

"Not as nice as your voice," Axel said smoothly. A split second later, he realized what he had said. "Dang it!" he gasped nervously. "I didn't know I said that out loud!"

Before Roxas could make fun of Axel and Larxene could thank Axel, Demyx cut in. "Didn't you like my sitar solo?"

"It was good," Xion replied with a smile.

At that moment, Xigbar walked up. "I wasn't expecting breakfast _and_ a show," he chuckled slyly. "Do you mind if I join you?" Without waiting for a reply, he took a seat next to Demyx.

"Hey, I need a seat," Larxene complained. She made her way to the table and daintily took a seat…on top of Axel!

"A perfect addition to the daily!" Xigbar exclaimed, taking out his camera.

"Darn, he said addition not replacement," Xion whispered to Roxas. You see, _The Xigbar Daily_'s gossip mainly focused on the friendship of number XIII and number XIV.

The flashbulb on number II's camera suddenly went off, causing Axel to become irritated. He hated when the gossip was spread about him, and he knew what automatically would come to the minds of the other members' minds when they get a look at the pictures that were being taken. "Get off of me!" he shouted at Larxene.

Larxene was somewhat surprised at Axel's harsh tone. "Fine," she grumbled, standing up. But then she roughly pushed Axel off his chair and stole his spot with an arrogant look on her face. "Now I'm off of you."

Axel groaned, got off the floor, and stood alone in the corner of the room.

"Axel, you don't have to stand over there. There's an empty seat over here," Xion told number VIII.

Still not in the best mood, Axel softly said 'okay' and took a seat in the empty chair, glaring all the while at Larxene.

After Moogle had all brought them their breakfasts, the members were ready to converse again. Roxas looked around at the people that were sitting at that end of the table and realized everyone was having Marluxia's pancakes – except Axel of course. Even Larxene wasn't eating her own bacon creation. Number XIII wondered if he was the only one who noticed it, and if so, how long would it take Xigbar to realize it? He was about to say something when Demyx sparked up a conversation.

"Xigbar, how come you have that eye patch? Is it because you once got a contact lens stuck in your eye and it got stuck to your eyelid and flipped over?" number IX asked curiously, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What? Where did you get that crazy story from? No, it was just injured…" Xigbar replied. He didn't really like talking about his eye so he changed the subject. "So, Poppet, you and kiddo seem to be hanging out a lot recently. Saix even pairs you together more. I hear you're paired together again today."

Xion tried to be nice to most of the members, but Xigbar really pushed the wrong buttons. "Your point?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It's very…" Xigbar began. "Interesting…but then again, who am I kidding? We're all Nobodies, right?" He let out a humorless laugh.

Roxas lifted his fork. "Just what are you getting at, Xigbar?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing," Xigbar answered with a grin.

Roxas was about to say something when Xion changed the subject. "Demyx, why did you learn that song Larxene sang? It talks about hearts…something Nobodies don't understand…" She slowly brought her head down until she was staring face-to-face with her sugar-high pancakes.

"Haha, that's what's so ironic about it!" Larxene laughed.

"And it's a pretty song," Demyx added.

"Where'd you learn it?" Xion asked curiously, taking a bite of her pancakes.

Demyx stabbed his flapjack. "Me and Larxene were sent on a mission to an unexplored forest in Africa. There we meant an ape man and his apes. The mother ape taught us that song. Brought the ape man to tears."

Xion giggled. "Wow, I've never been to that world before."

"It's really cool," Demyx said.

This sparked a conversation concerning everyone's favorite world. Before they knew it, breakfast was over and Xemnas stuck Axel and Larxene with KP duty.

"This stinks," Larxene remarked as she started to clear off the table. By this time, she and Axel were the only ones in the room.

Glancing across the fifty-foot long table, Axel muttered, "You don't know how much."

Larxene was puzzled. "What's _that_ supposed to mean? You hate doing work?" she teased.

Axel looked down at the mustard-covered plate in front of him and said, "No. I hate working with someone who plays with my lack of feelings."

Larxene's first instinct was to respond sarcastically, but when she fully understood what Axel just said, she lost that touch. "Axel…" she said quietly, looking down at the sugar-covered tea cup in front of her. "Usually when I play with people's lack of feelings, I do it without any of my own," she admitted.

"Well then why do you always single me out?" Axel yelled, tempted to smash the dishes he was holding.

Larxene looked up at him, and with total honesty, she replied, "Because I mean everything I say to you."

Axel was shocked. Something inside of him fluttered and he felt his face grow red. "You mean every single compliment-"

Larxene, too nervous to maintain eye-contact with him, replied, "Yes. Every. Single. Compliment."

Number VIII didn't know what to say next. "Uh…I have to go," he fibbed. "I'll drop these off in the kitchen and I'm sorry I can't stick around to help."

Larxene smiled at Axel fondly and said something sincerely that made him stop in his tracks. "I love you too."

Axel, who had his hand on the kitchen door, about to enter, closed his eyes and wondered, "So this is love?" He didn't understand what was going on inside of him, but he was feeling joyful and uncomfortable. Snapping out of his thoughts, he rushed to the kitchen, put the plates in the sink, and RTB'd (returned to his bedroom).


	7. Neverland

Chapter 7 – Neverland

The dark corridor opened up on the beach of one of the islands in Neverland and number XIII and XIV stepped out.

"So you've never been here?" Roxas asked Xion, somewhat shocked.

Xion shook her head. "Nope. This is my first time here." She paused and took in a deep breath, admiring the tropical scenery. "It sure is beautiful."

"Yeah it is," Roxas agreed, digging the toe of his boot in the sand. "Almost as beautiful as Destiny Islands."

Xion looked up at the clear blue sky and watched the gulls fly by. Suddenly it reminded her of something Roxas had once said. "So…is this the place where you got to fly?"

Roxas looked over at her. "Oh, yeah, it is," he realized. "Maybe we can find that fairy and then you can fly too! Axel came here once and got to fly so it's only fair…"

Xion beamed with excitement. Just the thought of gliding through the air like a gull gave her goose-bumps. "I really hope the fairy is here then."

"So…" Roxas began. "Shall we start searching for the fairy?"

"What exactly is our mission again?" she asked.

Roxas let out a chuckle. "It's to find some giant bird Heartless thing," he reminded. "I think I might have fought something like it before."

"Alright," Xion said with a nod. "I'm glad we're doing this together, because I'm not too good with giant Heartless by myself."

Roxas put a hand on her shoulder. "That's why I'm here to help," he said, smiling.

Xion started to feel her face heat up again, but she tried to ignore it by starting the search for the fairy. She walked over to a palm tree and examined it carefully. "No fairy in here," she reported.

Roxas let out a laugh and walked up to her. "The fairy usually doesn't hide," he said. "I have an idea. Let's just search for Heartless and maybe we'll find her."

"Sounds like a good idea," Xion agreed. "But if Heartless are up there…"- she pointed to the rocky cliffs - "the only way to get them would be to fly."

"Yeah, I know," Roxas said. "Well let's hope we find the fairy by then. Right now, we have to focus on the land Heartless."

Xion agreed and they then started to search the island for Heartless. As they explored, they ran into a number of aerial Heartless, including Turquoise Marches, Yellow Operas, and Emerald Serenades. The two took out these Heartless easily, especially since Roxas had taught Xion the swift and powerful aerial slicing technique that he had learned. Soon they had cleared out all the lower Heartless and were ready to take on the upper ones – that is, if they could fly. They then began to search high and low for any signs of the fairy, but they couldn't seem to locate her.

"How will we complete our mission if we can't find the fairy?" Xion asked, getting worried. She took a seat on a large rock to rest her feet.

"Don't worry, Xion, we'll find some way to get to that flying Heartless," Roxas reassured her, taking a seat next to her. "Oh, by the way, you're doing really good."

Xion looked over at Roxas. "Huh?" she asked, confused.

"I mean with the mission," number XIII explained. "You do that aerial slice thing just like a pro." He gently placed his hand over hers. "I know the Organization will never want to get rid of you when you have a performance record like that." He smiled tenderly at her.

"Roxas…" Xion began softly.

"_Both of them have connections to Sora, but we need only one of them under our thumb."_

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his head, causing Roxas to double over in pain, clutching his head. He recognized the voice of whose words rang through his head – Xemnas. As he fell to the ground, he moaned and groaned, pleading for the voices to stop.

"_Let Xion take from Roxas the rest of what he has to give…Or, let him destroy her first and get it all back. It makes no difference to me."_

"Roxas! Are you all right?" Xion's voice broke through the voices in his head and finally the pain subsided. He slowly opened his eyes to see Xion kneeling beside him, a worried expression on her face. "Roxas?"

Roxas slowly sat up and rubbed his head. "I'm…fine," he said, even though his lie didn't even fool himself.

"Roxas…"

Roxas looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Xion…why are you here? Why am I here? I thought I left the Organization…I'm…I'm so confused…"

* * *

"You awake?"

Roxas' eyes shot open at the familiar voice. He looked up and saw Axel looking down at him with a worried expression. Number XIII then took in his surroundings and realized he was back in the castle, back in his bedroom. He felt a little dizzy and sore, so he slowly sat up and rubbed his head. "Ugh…what happened?"

"You became unconscious," Axel replied simply, his arms folded across his chest.

Roxas looked down at his gloved hands. "I…did? Why am I here? What about the bird?"

"Well you see," Axel began slowly. "Xion didn't want to go back to Saix empty handed, so she found the bird herself. But when she tried fighting it, she got injured and fell in the water. Good thing I had just arrived and scooped her out before she drowned."

Roxas' eyes grew wide. He immediately jumped out of his bed. "Is she all right? Where is she?" he demanded.

"Woah, woah, woah, what's the rush?" Axel asked. "She's in her bed, still unconscious."

Without giving Axel enough time to say another word, Roxas was out the door. When he arrived in Xion's room, a small tear rolled down his cheek. Xion was lying unconscious in her bed, just as she had done in the past. "What if she doesn't wake up?" he managed to whispered, kneeling by her bedside. "And this is all my fault…Xion…"


	8. Exploring Emotions

Chapter 8 – Exploring Emotions

Everything was happening too fast. He didn't even understand why Xion was alive, and she was already injured. It didn't make sense! Something was missing…

"You've been sitting by her side for five hours," Axel said, appearing at the doorway.

Roxas just ignored him and kept on gently stroking Xion's face. "Please, Xion…wake up…"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "How long are you planning to stay by her?" he asked, leaning his back casually against the door frame.

Roxas turned his head and stared Axel dead in the eye. "Until she wakes up," he answered, determination in his eyes.

Number VIII began to rub the back of his head. "Hey, look, Roxas, she's my best friend too but aren't you being a little _too_ worried?"

Roxas turned his attention back to Xion. "I don't understand what you mean," he mumbled.

"C'mon, Roxas, let's have some ice cream," Axel suggested. "It'll get your mind off of this."

Roxas was silent for a moment, staring down at Xion. "But…I don't want to get my mind of off her. I want to be with her."

"C'mon, let's go to the clock tower. I need to talk to you," Axel said.

After another minute of persuading, Axel finally convinced Roxas to come with him up to the clock tower. By the time they got there, the sun was already setting. The two sat there licking their ice creams before Roxas spoke.

"So what exactly _did_ happen after I passed out?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know too much, you'll have to get the details from Xion after she wakes up," Axel replied, taking a bite of his ice cream.

"Oh," Roxas said, disappointed. A long stretch of silence followed. After Roxas had finished up all of his ice cream, even though his mind was spinning with thoughts, he tried to start a conversation. "So how was your mission today?" he asked.

Axel looked over at him suddenly, startled that he had spoken. He then looked out at the sunset. "It was fine."

Roxas nodded. "Which world did they send you to?" he asked.

"Wonderland," Axel replied simply.

"Did you have a partner or did you go solo?" number XIII inquired.

Staring out into the sunset, Axel answered quietly, "I was paired with Larxene."

"Oh, that must have stunk," Roxas commented. "Was she really annoying?"

Axel stared out into the distance with a fond expression on his face. "Heh, as if," he remarked. "She's really something."

"Yeah, but what?" Roxas chuckled.

Axel furrowed his brow and elbowed his friend. "Hey, that's not what I meant."

"Oh, you're serious?" Roxas asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Axel replied. "If I didn't know any better, I would swear I have feelings for her."

Roxas' eyes grew wide. "That's what I think about Xion!" he said excitedly. "I'm glad someone else understands how it feels to feel when you're not supposed to be able to feel."

"You really think we feel something?" Axel asked quietly.

"It's the only explanation," number XIII replied. "I feel something when I think about Xion, and you feel something when you think about Larxene…Come to think of it, when I'm around us friends, I sort of have this different state of being, I guess those are friend feelings."

"Hmm," Axel mused, stroking his chin. "We don't have hearts…but we do have souls…maybe that's all we need?"

"Heh, don't ask me, you're supposed to know, know-it-all," Roxas said with a bit of a laugh. "But…now will you explain it to me better?"

"Explain what?" Axel inquired curiously.

Roxas stared out into the red sunset. "What love is…" he replied softly.

"Heh, I wish I could to tell you, but I'm not sure myself. I guess that's a question only a somebody could answer," the Flurry of Dancing Flames replied.

Roxas rubbed his chin. "Hm…well Xaldin has been studying Belle and the Beast…maybe he would know…" he thought out loud.

Axel shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't think he's exactly being pleasant company for the Beast."

Suddenly something hit Roxas like a ton of bricks. "Hey, Axel, does Larxene feel the same way about you that you do about her?"

Axel shrugged, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing. "Yeah, I think…why?"

Roxas looked down at his ice cream stick. "I wonder…if Xion feels the same way I do…"

"I think she does," Axel replied.

"What makes you think that?" Roxas asked, half nervous and half excited.

Axel winked at his friend. "I can tell," he replied simply.

Roxas found his face heating up, probably turning a shade of red. "Y-you really think so?"

Number VIII tossed his ice cream stick aside. "C'mon, it's getting late," he said. "Let's RTC."

* * *

The dark corridor opened in the Grey Room and out walked Axel and Roxas. The Grey Room was practically empty, there was only Marluxia standing in the far secluded corner.

Axel turned to Roxas. "Well, c'mon, let's go check on Xion," he said. "I know you've been dying to see if she's awake."

Roxas was too embarrassed to answer, afraid that Marluxia had heard Axel's remark, so he just nodded his head.

The two were about to start down the hall when Saix appeared.

"Oh, good, Axel," Saix said with the usual dull expression. "I need to speak to you right away."

"What is it, oh mighty number VII?" Axel asked teasingly.

Saix grunted, giving Axel a harsh look. "We are expecting a guest from Castle-" He then paused, glaring strictly down at Roxas. "Axel, can we discuss this matter _alone_?"

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Axel turned to Roxas. "You go on ahead and check on Xion, this will only take a moment," he said.

Roxas nodded silently and took off down the hall. It only took him about a minute to reach Xion's room. He was about to walk in when voices coming from the recreation room distracted him. He silently approached the door on the opposite side of the hall and peered in.

Xigbar, Xaldin, and Luxord were sitting around a table, playing their weekly poker match. Nothing seemed to be unusual about it, but Roxas stayed a bit longer to hear what they were talking about.

"So I heard Poppet is unconscious again," Xigbar said dryly, placing a poker chip on the stack.

"She's not much help to the Organization when she's always unconscious, is she?" Xaldin asked, shuffling a few cards.

"Creating her in the first place was quite a gamble," Luxord commented, eying one of his cards mischievously.

Xigbar reached beside him and grabbed his glass of lemonade. "But now that she is performing well, Xemnas seems to want to keep her. Well, she _was_ performing well, until today's incident." He took a sip of his lemonade.

Luxord let out a laugh. "But just watch, if we try to get rid of her, we'll end up getting rid of Roxas too! I don't know _what_ he sees in that girl but it's almost definite he'll leave the Organization if she goes. It's better to have two keyblades than none at all, and it's also better to have two _aces_…" He put down his hand of cards, revealing two aces in his bunch, along with a number of kings. The other two groaned as he claimed the pile of chips in the middle. "Another game, gentlemen?"

"No thanks man, I'm broke," Xigbar declined.

Xaldin looked over at Luxord suspiciously. "Luxord, why do you think Roxas would leave if we got rid of Xion?" he asked.

Luxord shrugged, collecting his playing cards. "Ask that question to Xigbar, he's the one that prints it up."

Xaldin turned to Xigbar with a look on his face that seemed to say 'tell me or else'.

Xigbar just grinned. "All I'm saying is that they seem to be too tight of friends, that's all."

Xaldin paused before he let out a grunt. "Are you saying they have hearts?"

"As if," Xigbar replied. "The only thing I know is that I'll be following them around and I'll report everything to you 'oh heart master'."

Xaldin let out another grunt at the sarcasm but said nothing more.

After a stretch of silence, Luxord spoke. "Even if he does have something close to 'feelings' for that Xion, that'll all change when _she_ arrives."

Roxas backed away from the door as he heard the men chuckle. _"She? She who?" _he wondered. _"They're just probably rambling. Anyways, I have to go see Xion."_ With that, he went back to his original task.

Roxas opened the door slowly to Xion's room, trying to be as silent as possible. He was disappointed to see that she was still sleeping peacefully on her bed. He quietly took a seat on a chair beside her bed and looked down upon her.

"I don't get it," he said out loud. "Why does something inside me ache when I see Xion like this?" He sat there for a long time, thinking about his conversation with Axel and also how he usually feels when around Xion. It just didn't make sense. Everyone said Nobodies couldn't feel, but then why was he so worried about Xion? So many questions that no one would answer. Would he ever understand?

* * *

"_Are you certain we've taken suitable measures with Xion and Roxas?"_

"_I will admit, Xion has strayed from our original designs. But this unpredictable behavior is proving to have an interesting side effect."_

"_Really?"_

"_We wanted the Key. Xion's exposure to Roxas effected a transfer in its power, just as we had hoped. Had things stopped there, Xion would have been an unequivocal success. But then, through Roxas, Sora himself began to shape "it" into "her", giving Xion a sense of identity. I was ready to scrap the whole project…Then it occurred to me: Xion is keeping Sora's memories trapped by claiming them as her own. Keeping her close to Roxas will prevent Sora from ever waking."_

_

* * *

_

"What in the world has happened?"

"Xion!" Roxas exclaimed with excitement. Xion was sitting up in her bed, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. "Xion, are you all right?"

Xion took a deep breath and looked around. "Yeah…I'm fine. Just weird dreams, that's all."

Number XIII let out his air. "Oh, thank goodness," he said, quite relieved. "You had me worried."

"Oh you were? Sorry," she apologized quietly. She looked down at her gloved hands for a moment before she spoke. "You know, I'm just as confused as you are."

Roxas let out a sigh. "That's okay, just don't worry about it. I don't mind being in pain, but I really _hate_ it when you're in pain."

Xion looked up at him, surprised. "Really, Roxas?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," Roxas answered. "You're my best friend and I really…care about you."

Xion looked down nervously at her hands, feeling her face grow hot. "Thanks," she said quietly.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Roxas remembered something. "Oh, yeah, Xion, I was wondering about what happened after I passed out. You know, with the bird-like Heartless…You're not injured are you?"

"No, I'm fine," number XIV answered. "So after you passed out, I dragged you to somewhere safe behind a rock and then went on with the mission. I never did find the fairy, so I just threw rocks at the cliffs until I got the bird Heartless down. I had almost defeated him when I was knocked out. The last thing I remember was…hitting the water…which reminds me, how exactly _did_ I get here? Did you-"

Roxas shook his head. "No, Axel did. He brought both of us back. I woke up soon afterwards and he told me that…hey are you positive you're all right?"

Xion giggled. This was the third time Roxas had asked her that. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied merrily. "Just a bit winded, but I'll feel great tomorrow." As a moment of silence began, Xion rubbed her head and realized that she would feel terribly confused right now, especially because of her perplexing dream, if Roxas wasn't here with her. But she actually felt happy. "W-wait…I'm happy? But I thought we weren't supposed to feel…"

Roxas looked up at her, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "Yeah, me and Axel were thinking the same thing earlier about…well never mind. Being a Nobody sure is confusing, isn't it?"

"It sure is," Xion answered with a nod.

"Well…" Roxas began, almost hesitant. "I think maybe we should just forget what the other's say and believe that Nobodies have feelings too."

A wide smile stretched across the female Nobody's face. "Okay, let's."

There was another period of silence. Roxas was tapping his fingers nervously against each other, trying to think of how to word what he wanted to say. _"Should I tell her?" _he thought. _"Well, she's my best friend; I think she'll understand…"_ "Xion," he suddenly began, causing Xion to jump a little.

"Yeah?" Xion asked curiously.

Roxas took a deep breath. "Well…while you were still asleep, Axel and I had ice cream on the clock tower. We got to talking, and well, Axel said he thought he had feelings for Larxene and…"

"Woah, woah, woah, back it up," Xion said. "Larxene? Haha that's priceless!" She started to burst out in laughter.

"Hey, calm down, let me finish," Roxas said, laughing along with her. After Xion's laughter died down, he continued. "Well that got us to thinking that maybe Nobodies do have feelings, and maybe they can feel…love. I mean, Axel told me that he feels different when he's around Larxene, and I feel different when I'm around…" His head suddenly dropped, and he could feel his stomach tie into a knot. As Xion waited anxiously for what he was going to say next, soft music known as Roxas' Theme played somewhere in the background (probably on Demyx's sound system). Xion also felt something in her stomach as she sat there waiting.

After what seemed like years of waiting, Xion decided to say something. "R-"

But she stopped when she saw Roxas lift his head slowly. He then looked her straight in the eye and said with as much boldness as he could manage, "When I'm around _you_."

Xion paused for a second. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked nervously, wringing her hands together.

Roxas let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "I mean…" He then took a deep breath and opened his eyes back up. "I love you."

Xion felt her face grow hot, but she had too much emotion flowing through her to question it. Namely, she was confused as to how she even had emotion, because what Roxas said made her really happy inside. Joyful, even. There were just no words to describe it, especially since she was a Nobody. "R-"

Roxas silenced her by putting his finger to her lips. He felt a wave of courage crash over him and he needed to say what was on his mind. "I know they would all laugh, telling me I was out in the sun too long, but I don't care. I know my love for you is real…and I know _you're_ real too. Don't listen to them, 'cause what do they know?"

"That last part sounded like it was from that song Larxene sang…" Xion murmured, trying to overcome her nervousness. She decided to try looking directly at him, hoping it would give her enough courage to say something. As soon as she saw his deep blue eyes, her eyes locked on to them and she couldn't look away. She felt almost lightheaded as she turned herself around to face him more comfortably. "Roxas, I…"

Roxas felt himself smiling as he stared at her. But he was also incredibly nervous, wondering if she would love him back. She hadn't said anything yet, which worried him that maybe she thought he was some kind of creep.

"I…" Xion began again, trying to get the words out. "I love you too."

Something inside of Roxas filled with joy as those words came out of her mouth. He suddenly found himself leaning forward, closing the distance between his and Xion's faces. _"What am I even doing?" _he thought as he kept getting closer and closer. Xion herself was wondering the same thing, watching him intently as he cupped his hand around her chin. Before either of them knew what was going on, their lips suddenly made contact, turning into what somebodies call a 'kiss'. Xion found herself wrapping her arms around Roxas' neck, pulling him closer to her.

"_I'm not going to lose you," _Roxas thought as he held her tightly._ "Not this time."_

After another moment, they relinquished each other's lips. Both of them were too embarrassed to even look each other in the eye. "Wh-what was that?" Xion asked quietly.

"I don't know," Roxas replied, confused. "I just couldn't really stop myself…" He felt his face grow redder than it already was. "I'm sorry…did I hurt you?"

Xion shook her head. "No, it was…"

She was suddenly interrupted by a voice. "Nice show, you two." They turned to see Axel standing in the doorway, clapping his hands. "I didn't think you would figure out that gesture so quickly."

"Axel!" Roxas exclaimed, surprised. "Uhm…heh, heh…how long have you been standing there?"

Axel winked. "Long enough," he answered, entering the room.

Roxas nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Oh…heh…"

"What gesture did you mean?" Xion asked.

Axel's grin widened. "Oh, what you were just doing," he replied.

Xion's face reddened. "Well…yeah…do you know what it's called?"

Axel let out a laugh. "It's called kissing. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied, feeling a tiny bit less embarrassed. "Have you and Larxene ever done it?"

"Nah, I'm smart enough to control myself," Axel replied with a smirk. "And besides, I haven't seen Larxene since this morning."

There was an awkward silence between the three of them, until Xion spoke. "Well what do we do now?" she asked.

Roxas looked up at her. "What do you mean, Xion?"

"Well…" Xion began, trying not to freeze up. "If the superiors ever found out of our love for each other, we'd be in big trouble, don't you think?"

Roxas looked up at Axel. "Axel?" he asked, hoping his friend would give him advice.

Number VIII scratched the back of his head. "Hm, I'm not sure they'll take it. Saix especially. Maybe just don't let anyone know. Just forget it."

"Forget my love for Xion?" Roxas asked, appalled. "Never! Not now that I've got her back!"

"Got her back?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Roxas rubbed his sore temples and let out a sigh. "I don't know, it all seemed so real, but maybe I should pass it off as a dream. No one other than me seems to remember. Except you remember a bit, don't you, Xion?"

Xion closed her eyes and wracked her brain. Then she shook her head. "All I remember are those dreams I've been having," she replied.

"Woah, woah, woah, now I'm totally lost," Axel remarked. "Dreams? Remember? You're acting as if something has happened that only you know about."

Surprisingly enough, a smile appeared on Xion's face. She took Roxas' hand in hers and started to gently stroke it. "Don't worry Roxas, it'll all make sense eventually."

Axel turned to watch Roxas' reaction to this display of affection. He observed Roxas' face reddening and a smile appearing.

"Thanks, Xion," number XIII said softly. Then he turned to Axel. "So, what do you think we should do about this? You love Larxene and I love Xion, but everyone says Nobodies can't love."

"Just don't listen to them, I guess," Axel replied with a shrug. "But right now I think it's time for bed. At least for me. Work tomorrow, you know? You two should turn in too."

"All right," Roxas agreed, giving Xion's hand a soft squeeze before releasing it. He then got up from his chair and followed Axel to the door. Right before he left, however, he turned around and said with a bright smile, "Good night, Xi-Xi."

* * *

"Well, well, well, Poppet and kiddo, this seems to be quite interesting. _Quite._"


	9. A Mission with Larxene

Chapter 9 – A Mission with Larxene

"_Roxas…I'm out of time. Even if I'm not ready…I have to make this choice. You have poured so many memories into me…given me so much…that I feel like I'm about to overflow. Look at me, Roxas. Who do you see? If you see somebody else's face…a boy's face…then that means I'm almost ready…This puppet will have to play her part. Roxas…This is him. It's Sora. You're next, Roxas. I have to make you a part of me, too. Don't you see? This is why I was created."_

_

* * *

_

Xion woke up the next morning with a tear-stained pillow. Her head ached from her previous dream, and her eyes were moist. "I don't understand," she said out loud, almost in tears. "Then I'm doubly not supposed to exist? Apparently I did die…I had Sora's ugly mug also…then why am I here? How could it be?" Her thoughts were interrupted by the knock on the door. Breathing in deeply, she tried to make her voice sound as steady as possible as she said, "Come in."

The door opened slowly and Roxas stepped in. "Morning, Xion," he said with a grin.

Xion sniffled and looked down at her blankets. It was then that Roxas realized she had been crying. He quickly rushed to her side, grabbed a tissue from her tissue box, and dried her cheeks. "Xion, what's wrong?" he asked.

Number XIV looked up at him with the most pitiful eyes and said softly, "Roxas, I had another dream last night…I…I looked like Sora…and I…was going to absorb you…"

Roxas felt like crying himself. Every time he remembered that scene on the clock tower his eyes grew misty. He took Xion's delicate hand in his and stroked it gently, trying to comfort her.

Xion cried for a few more moments before she spoke again. "Roxas…how am I even alive? And how are Larxene, Zexion, Marluxia, Vexen, and Lexaeus alive?"

Roxas shook his head solemnly. "Xion, I wish I knew. I really do. I mean, I'm supposedly not even supposed to remember you. But, in my opinion, I would rather be the most confused Nobody in the world but have you with me than to live life with everything explained but without you."

Xion felt her eyes tear up again, but this time it wasn't with sorrow. "Roxas, I don't get it. I'm happy but I'm still crying."

Number XIII stood up from his kneeling position and wrapped his arms around her. As he spoke to her, he soothingly patted her back. "Just forget everything, Xion. Forget everything. You have me and Axel, and we're not going to leave you."

* * *

After they had breakfast with Axel in one of the castle's smaller breakfast rooms, Xion and Roxas arrived in the Grey Room, ready for work. As soon as they did, Saix approached them.

"Well, you're actually on time for once," number VII said, looking at his Mickey Mouse watch.

"What do you mean by 'for once'? Xion's never late!" Roxas barked back.

"Yes, but it broke yesterday, so I didn't expect it to be here at all," Saix said.

"Grrr…don't call Xion 'it'! Xion's a girl!" Roxas growled. If Xion hadn't put her hand on his arm, holding him back, he would have summoned his keyblade and ripped Saix to pieces.

Saix rolled his eyes. "Fine, call the puppet what you want to," he said. "But back to business. Please leave for your missions immediately, as soon as your partners arrive. Roxas, you're paired with Axel, and Xion, you're paired with Larxene." With that, he walked away.

"Xion's not a pu-!" Roxas exclaimed, but cut it short because Saix was too far away to hear him. He looked to the floor, defeated.

Xion started to rub Roxas' arm soothingly. "It's all right, Roxas, I'm used to it," she said.

"Well that's one thing that hasn't changed," Roxas grumbled. "Saix's rudeness."

At that moment, Axel entered the room. "Hey, you two," he greeted with a cheery smile.

"Hi, Axel," Xion greeted back. Roxas just managed a smile.

Axel looked around the room for a moment, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, where's grumpy pants Saix? Isn't he going to give me my mission?"

"Oh, you're paired with me today," Roxas spoke up. "X-face just told me."

"Oh," Axel replied. "Okay. So did he tell you where the mission-" But he was interrupted by a short, four-note beeping melody. All three of them looked in the direction it came from, which happened to be one of the couches. And on that couch sat Demyx. Demyx was holding up a blue communication device that looked like the lame cartoon Kim Possible's. Axel rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of mission."

Demyx got up from the couch and joined the three. "Hey, guys," he greeted.

"Looks like you've been swindled again," Axel remarked with a grin, pointing at the gadget Demyx was holding.

Demyx threw the gadget aside. "Aw, man, I was hoping you wouldn't notice," he said in an almost whiny voice.

Axel folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Met a swindler in Twilight Town again, eh? Dem, this is the third time this month! "

Demyx stepped back a bit. "I know, but the guy who sold it to me said it was a cell phone. Turns out that all it can do is beep. Obnoxiously!"

Number VIII started to count with his fingers. "First it was the electric toaster, then those card board guitar picks…"

"_Sitar_ picks," Demyx corrected. He then stooped down and picked up the toy phone. "Well, I won't be needing this."

He tossed it aside blindly, which was followed by a loud crash and the sound of Xaldin's voice yelling "hey!"

At that moment, Zexion walked up. "Are you ready to depart?" the cloaked schemer asked Demyx.

Demyx sighed. "All right, let's get this stupid mission over with." Number VI and number IX opened the dark corridor and disappeared. And it was perfect timing too, because Larxene then arrived, and if she had seen Demyx she would have ripped him apart for stealing her tooth brush.

"Hey, guys," Larxene greeted drowsily. "Honestly, the hours of this job are _murder_! Has Xemnas ever heard of beauty sleep?"

"You're paired with me today," Xion said quietly. She wasn't exactly comfortable around Larxene, 'cause everyone had described her as a beast – and she had seen some of it too.

Larxene turned her attention to Xion. "Oh, okay," she said. She was secretly hoping that she would be paired with Axel. "Well, enough chit-chat." She opened the dark corridor.

After both two-man teams had left, Xigbar placed his feet on the coffee table and stretched. He was sitting on one of the couches, Xaldin and Luxord opposite of him. "After our missions, let's meet in the rec. room for a game and a bit of rambling."

"All right," Xaldin agreed.

"Sounds fine, gentlemen," Luxord replied.

A mischievous grin stretched across Xigbar's face. "You won't believe what I saw last night…"

* * *

The dark corridor opened in the streets of Twilight Town and Larxene and Xion came out.

"Another dull Heartless mission," Larxene grumbled. "When will we ever do something interesting for a change like blow up some real enemies?"

Xion sighed. "Well let's just get this over with then," she said quietly.

"Hey, that's not a good attitude," Larxene said, putting her hand on her hip.

"You're one to talk," Xion remarked before she could stop herself.

At that moment, a gang of Emblem Heartless appeared.

Larxene turned to Xion as number XIV summoned her keyblade. "So, do you use much magic while fighting?" she asked.

"Occasionally," Xion replied. "But I'm not that good using it."

Larxene smirked. "Watch this." She then stepped forward, mustering all her strength. "Lightning!" she called out, and a powerful chain of lightning was sent forward, eliminating all the Heartless in the area. She then blew on her fingers haughtily and stepped back. "See how powerful magic can be? Now what magic are you equipped with?"

"Fire and ice," Xion replied.

"Okay, well try to use it more often," Larxene suggested.

Then the two advanced through the streets, looking for Heartless. When they came to another batch of Heartless, this time a pack of undemanding shadows, Xion tried her magic. First she stunned the enemies with ice, and then set them on fire.

"Great job," Larxene clapped. "Half a gold star."

"Only half?" Xion inquired.

"I had to dock you for that scratch on your face," number XII answered, pointing at the girl's cheek.

Xion put her hand up to her face and felt the scratch. "Darn, that's going to leave a mark," she sighed. Then something caught her eye. "Hey Larxene?" she asked.

Larxene, who had been in the middle of getting a rock out of her boot, turned to Xion. "Yeah?"

"You must be in battles a lot. How come you have perfect skin?" she asked.

"I go to a spa once a week," Larxene replied casually. "It's located near here, actually. In Tram Commons."

"Oh, that's cool," Xion remarked.

Larxene bent down and proceeded in trying to get the rock out of her boot. Once it was out, she got an idea. "Hey, I know. If you do well on this mission we can go to that spa afterwards."

Xion shrugged. "I don't you. I've never been to a spa…"

"Oh, they're loads of fun," Larxene assured her. "As long as there aren't any losers making passes at you. But I usually take care of them." She cracked her knuckles and grinned.

"_Why not?" _Xion thought. "All right, I'll go."

* * *

After the two had eliminated all the Heartless in Twilight Town, ending with a nasty bunch in Tram Commons, it was time to visit the spa.

Larxene pushed open the sliding glass doors and Xion followed her inside. The room was fairly large and the air reeked of perfume and flowers. It was the most high-class and welcoming place in all of Twilight Town, with its soft jazz music playing and friendly staff conversing with the customers.

"Welcome, Larxene!" Mrs. Exaresweet exclaimed, coming up from behind the counter. Mrs. Exaresweet was a plump woman with a double chin and curly brown and grey hair that was collected on top of her head in a loose bun. Another quality that made Mrs. Exaresweet unusual (besides her name) was that she was obsessed with cats. She had decorated the building with many little cat statues, some of wild colors like pink and purple. But most importantly, Larxene was her favorite customer.

"Hey," Larxene greeted.

"Oh, and you brought a friend!" the elderly lady exclaimed joyously, clapping her pudgy hands together. "What's your name, little one?"

Xion felt like rolling her eyes at that, but she just politely responded, "Xion."

"Well, welcome, Xion," Mrs. Exaresweet said heartily. She then turned to Larxene. "Another Nobody, I presume…"

"Yes," Larxene nodded.

Mrs. Exaresweet shook her head in disapproval. "What's wrong with the younger generation? They don't want their hearts anymore…"

"Anyways," Larxene said, changing the subject. "Do you think you could do anything with this girl's skin?" She pushed Xion forward.

Mrs. Exaresweet studied Xion's face for a moment before making up her mind. "Ah, I have just the thing. An apricot facial. Come this way." As she led the girls to the sinks, she turned back and asked Larxene, "The usual, Larxene?"

"Yup," Larxene answered.

Mrs. Exaresweet led them to two leather chairs that leaned back at an angle. There were small sinks located conveniently beside each chair, and a mirror cabinet was located above each sink. "Take a seat, girls," the elderly woman instructed. After both were seated, she stood in between them and opened the cabinet. "Oh, fiddlesticks," she said. "I left the apricot mask in the back. I'll be back in one minute." Mrs. Exaresweet then disappeared into the back room.

"…So…what's new?" Xion asked Larxene. The conversation she had had with Roxas and Axel the previous night was brought to mind, and she couldn't help but smirk. _"So Axel has a thing for this girl?" _she thought.

Larxene shrugged. "Not much," she replied. "What's with you and Roxas?"

"What's with you and Axel?" Xion shot back.

"I'll only tell you if you tell me about you and Roxas," Larxene replied stubbornly.

"_Oh great,"_ number XIV thought. "Fine," she replied reluctantly as she fidgeted in her chair.

"You first," Larxene said.

Xion rolled her eyes and complied. "Well…we're friends," she said.

Larxene raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Xion gulped. "And…he's my best friend…" She looked up at Larxene to see that number XII's expression was demanding her to elaborate. She hung her head out of 99% embarrassment and 1% shame. "…And I like him a lot."

"Pff, I don't," Larxene muttered.

Xion's brow furrowed. "What?"

"I mean I like him a little, but not a lot," the Savage Nymph corrected.

Xion smiled. "Oh, that's good," she said.

At that moment, Mrs. Exaresweet came back with the apricot mask. "I found it," she said cheerfully. Then she washed her hands and got to work on Xion's face.

"So…about Axel," Xion said slyly.

"Oh, Axel!" the elderly lady exclaimed. "That dashing young man that came here just this morning…"

Larxene was totally surprised but very happy when she heard mention of Axel. "What for?"

Mrs. Exaresweet shrugged, accidently spilling some of the mask on the floor. "Deary me, this is no good. I better get a mop before I finish your facial. Sorry, loves." She waddled away.

"I saw you smile when she mentioned Axel," Xion told Larxene. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know, something inside of me jumped," Larxene replied.

"Must have been a loose spring," number XIV joked.

"At least it wasn't a loose screw like you have," Larxene retorted.

Xion stuck out her tongue. Despite all the witty banter and sarcasm, which might mean the same thing, the girls were having fun.

"So you still haven't told me what you think about Axel," Xion reminded. "Do you like him?"

Larxene felt her face turn red. "W-what makes you think that?" she snapped.

Xion shrugged. "Dunno, it just seems that you treat him nicely, compared to the way you treat the other guys. Like the time Marluxia borrowed your blow dryer without permission, you chewed him up for weeks. But you don't seem to treat Axel like that…"

At that moment, Mrs. Exaresweet came back with her mop, and started to mop up the floor.

"Well, I don't know, Axel just doesn't seem to get on my nerves," Larxene replied, shifting in her chair.

"Oh, that reminds me of something!" Mrs. Exaresweet suddenly exclaimed, giving the girls a scare. "Franklin would never get on my nerves either!"

"Franklin?" Larxene asked, puzzled.

"Yes, Franklin Exaresweet, my late husband," Mrs. Exaresweet replied, washing her hands. She then took the bottle of the apricot mask cream, squirted some on her hand, and started on Xion again. "We would have been married forty years, come next month. But he would never get on my nerves, even when I met him in high school. I'll have you know that he was the quarter back for the football team. Yes, I remember I would always take the long route to Algebra to get a glimpse of him practice…" She let out a wistful sigh. "Yes, those were the days…So, do you two go to school?"

Larxene shook her head. "Well, not really. Once in a while a square like Vexen will try to force us to do something stupid like algebra, but I find my ways out." She grinned mischievously, rubbing her hands together.

"Now, now, algebra is an important subject," Mrs. Exaresweet chided. "Even if you don't think it's necessary, most jobs require the use of it some time or another."

"I doubt our job requires it," Xion put in. "Xemnas would rather have me out in the field than behind a desk."

"Xemnas?" the elderly lady inquired curiously.

"Our boss," Larxene replied quickly. She then glared at Xion with an expression that said 'don't tell anyone about the Organization'.

Mrs. Exaresweet glanced at Larxene and then realized something. "Oh, I'm afraid Miss Xion's facial will take longer than expected." She then looked out into the shop, her eyes scanning the room. "Caroline!" she called.

A slender lady with long unnatural red-orange hair stepped out from the back room. She was wearing a tight dress with an interesting pattern of green palm leaves on white. "Yes?" she answered.

"Caroline, could you please do Miss Larxene's cucumber facial today?" Mrs. Exaresweet asked, putting another helping of cream on Xion's face.

"Certainly," Caroline responded, walking up.

"But easy on the cucumber," Larxene instructed. "Last time you gave me a facial I smelled like cucumber for a week, and Demyx wouldn't stop mistaking me for a 'cucumber mayonnaise with a sprinkle of pepper' sandwich."

Xion laughed. "That's funny." At that moment, something outside the wide glass window caught number XIV's eye. She could see three children standing around and talking. _"Those must be Roxas' friends," _she thought. She remembered that Roxas had mentioned them once. As she leaned a bit closer to the window, despite Mrs. Exaresweet's protests, she could barely make out their conversation.

"So do we have enough munny for the airplane replica yet?" Pence asked, chewing a wad of gum.

Hayner took out a wallet from his pocket which said PROJECT FLIGHT on it and opened it up. "Just about enough."

Olette and Pence peered inside the wallet and gasped. "When did we get that much munny? The last time I looked it was less than half full," Olette said, puzzled.

"Well…" Hayner began. "I sold something…"

"What?" Pence asked, blowing a bubble.

"A weird toy Kim Possible phone," Hayner replied with a laugh.

Olette's eyes expanded. "You WHAT?" she exclaimed. "That was mine!"

Hayner rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well we all need to make sacrifices…" he said.

Olette gritted her teeth. "If I wasn't such a happy-go-lucky person I would sacrifice your head!"

Xion let out a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Larxene asked, eyeing Xion.

"Nothing," Xion shrugged.

After about ten more minutes, Mrs. Exaresweet and Caroline had finished the girls' facials.

"Wow, my face feels so…refreshed," Xion commented, feeling her face.

"Now you know why I come here once a week," Larxene said, stretching. "But, the facials aren't the only reason I come here…"

"No?" Xion asked.

Larxene shook her head. "No, I also come here for a massage."

Number XIV tilted her head. "A massage? What's that?"

Larxene felt like rolling her eyes, but she didn't. "It's…well I don't really know how to explain it so come on." She led Xion over to the massage tables, Caroline following them.

"Another massage today?" Caroline asked.

"Yup," Larxene replied, lying down on her stomach on one of the tables. Xion just stood there staring at her with a very confused expression. Larxene soon noticed this, and looked up at her. "Well, c'mon, lie down on the other table."

Xion eyed the leather bench-like table and shook her head. "I'd rather not."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "C'mon, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"…No thanks," Xion said apprehensively.

Larxene sighed. "Fine, have it your way, but I won't tell you about me and Axel."

That did the trick. Xion immediately lay down on her stomach on the bench.

"So basically a massage is where they rub your back and it makes you relaxed," Larxene explained. Xion shot her a weirded-out look. "Don't worry, it's not weird, trust me."

"So, which one of you ladies shall I do first?" Caroline asked.

"Do me first so Xion can see what it's like," Larxene said.

Xion watched Larxene curiously as the masseuse started on her shoulders.

"It's a good thing you wear these robes, that way you don't have to change," Caroline said as she worked. "Who exactly do you work for?"

"Organization XIII," Xion replied without even thinking. Larxene shot her a glare.

"Oh, never heard of that group," remarked Caroline. "What do you do?"

"We sell shoe polish!" Larxene butted in before Xion could say anything. "Yes, we represent the Organization XIII Shoe Polish Co, because we're ranked the 13th best shoe polish manufacturer."

"Oh," Caroline said in a disinterested tone.

There was a moment of silence before Xion spoke. "So…Larxene, you were going to tell me about Axel…"

Larxene opened her eyes quickly. "Oh, right," she said, getting a little nervous. "He's cute when he's embarrassed. Wait, I take that back. He's always cute."

"In _your _opinion," Xion said, sticking out her tongue.

"Of course!" Larxene exclaimed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"That's how I feel about my husband Craig," Caroline remarked.

"What's it like to be married?" Xion asked curiously.

"It's great but it's not easy," Caroline answered.

"Oh," Xion sighed.

"But it's well worth it," the masseuse added cheerfully.

Xion smiled. She found herself absent-mindedly staring at Caroline's red hair. It suddenly reminded her of Kim Possible which reminded her of KP duty which reminded her of… "Hey, Larxene, how did KP duty with Axel go?"

Larxene let out a content sigh, feeling herself relaxed enough to open up to Xion. "I learned a few things like KP duty can be fun when you do it with someone you love, even when that someone leaves you with most of the work because he's too embarrassed to be around you."

Xion let out a giggle. "So you really do love Axel? That's awesome. He told Roxas that he loves you."

Larxene felt herself blush. "Really? I haven't talked to him since KP duty, and he never actually said that he loves me…"

"Well then talk to him after we RTC," Xion suggested.

"All right," Larxene sighed. "Okay, Caroline, that's enough. I'm relaxed. Do Xion now." As number XII turned over on her side, she noticed Xion's expression turn nervous. "Now, c'mon, Xion, no need to worry. Just relax."

Xion look a deep breath and let it out. "All right, I'll try." Caroline then started to massage her back. At first Xion cringed and closed her eyes, trying not to flinch, but soon she relaxed and found herself enjoying it.

"So…" Larxene began slyly. "What about you? Do you love Roxas?"

Even though her face was against the bench, she could feel her face redden. "Mhm," she replied, her voice muffled by the bench.

"Aw, no need to be ashamed," Larxene said. "That's really cute. And I'm not being sarcastic either."

Xion looked up at Larxene, who winked at her. She felt herself ease up again, hoping she could open up to Larxene without getting laughed at. "But Nobodies aren't supposed to love. Don't you find it weird that you love Axel?"

Larxene shrugged. "Nah, not really. What do those meat-heads know?"

Number XIV let out a laugh. "I hope I'll be able to maintain that attitude. But…please don't tell anyone about my love for Roxas, all right? The others wouldn't understand…"

"Don't worry, I won't say anything, as long as you don't tell anyone about me and Axel," Larxene said.

"Okay, I won't," Xion agreed. "And thanks. You're not as monstrous as they say you are."

"Well thanks," the Savage Nymph muttered sarcastically. There was then a moment of silence.

At length, Xion spoke. "Larxene…have you ever kissed anyone before?"

Larxene looked up at her. "Me? Nah, never. I've never liked anyone besides Axel, even before I became a Nobody. Why?"

"Well…" Xion began. Then her voice sunk to a quiet, ashamed tone. "Me and Roxas kissed."

Larxene let out a laugh. "Aw, really? How cute!"

Xion looked up at her. "It felt so weird…yet it made me happy."

Larxene shrugged. "Well, like I said, I've never kissed anyone before, so I won't be able to explain it to you."

"Oh," Xion said softly.

After ten more minutes, the massage ended and the girls were ready to leave.

Larxene stepped up to the checkout counter. "How much for the facials and massages?" she asked.

Mrs. Exaresweet came out from the back room, wiping her hands. "Oh, nothing, loves," she said. "That man Axel paid for it this morning."

Larxene was pleasantly surprised. "Really? He knew we were coming? Is Xion paid for too?"

"Yes ma'am," Mrs. Exaresweet answered, checking her records. "Paid and full. See you again next week."

"How sweet of him," Larxene mused. "I'll have to thank him tonight."


	10. Axel and Larxene

Chapter 10 – Axel and Larxene

"Well that's the last of them," Axel said, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Phew, boy those Heartless were hard. Especially in the hot sun."

Roxas let out a laugh. "Well maybe it's just because you're the Flurry of Dancing Flames. Now, if you were the Chilly Academic…"

"Yeah, they should send Vexen out here instead! Boy is it hot!" Axel complained. "Send me to somewhere nice and cool…like a cold brick castle…ohhh I can just feel those cold bricks." He imagined himself lying flat against a chilly wall.

Roxas shook his head. "Axel, I think you've been out in the sun too long."

Axel just let out a laugh and lightly punched Roxas' arm. "Well, yeah, whatever, blame Saix. Him and his crazy agenda. A puppy could do his job ten times better than he does!"

Roxas chuckled. "Well, there used to be buckets of water here when me and Xion were sent here…" He suddenly felt his face start to heat up and he stopped.

"Hey, man, you're blushing," Axel observed. He rested his back casually against a shop, folded his arms, and raised an eyebrow. "What did you and Xion do?"

Roxas shook his head. "Nothing. Now come on, you were the one that was complaining about the heat. Let's RTC." Roxas started forward but then stopped when he realized Axel wasn't following him. "What, you don't want to return?"

Axel looked down to the ground and a shadow passed over his eyes. "No," he replied.

Roxas walked back to his friend. "Why not? What's wrong?"

Axel didn't reply and everything was completely silent, save for the wind blowing in the far east. At length, the Flurry of Dancing Flames opened up to his friend. "I'm afraid…of confronting Larxene."

Number XIII cocked his head. "Really? How come?"

Axel sighed. "You might be okay with telling Xion about your love for her, she's your best friend. But Larxene…I just hope I don't say something wrong and anger her."

Scenes flashed through Roxas' mind of Larxene zapping Marluxia, striking Demyx, kicking Xigbar, and elbowing Vexen in the stomach. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

"I mean, I didn't even really tell her that I love her yet…" Axel said. Then he let out a humorless laugh. "Wow."

"What?" Roxas asked, curious.

"I used to believe Nobodies couldn't love…and that I would never have to worry about it…but now…I think I've proven myself wrong," number VIII said.

"Maybe Nobodies aren't as simple as we thought," Roxas mused.

Axel turned to Roxas. "Heh, you better believe it. Well, c'mon, I guess we better RTC. Avoiding Larxene will just make her angrier." They turned around, heading for the exit, when suddenly a blue genie appeared before their eyes. They both stepped back in shock.

"Thought you could get away with it, eh?" the Genie asked, placing his hand on his…uh…hip.

Roxas blinked. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"You know this guy, Roxas?" Axel asked.

"Know this guy?" the Genie exclaimed. "You bet your sweet diapers he does!"

"Yeah…I know him…but what's there to get excited about?" Roxas asked, confused.

The Genie furrowed his brow. "But first things first. Why, oh why, did you and your girlfriend have to waste our water like that?"

"Girlfriend?" Roxas asked. "Oh, you mean Xion? Well…it was hot and…"

The Genie shook his head in disapproval. "Honestly, that's appreciation for all I've done for you," he sighed inwardly.

"All you've done for me?" number XIII inquired, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't remember," he said to himself in displeasure. "You hear that, he doesn't remember! That's the last time I grant anymore wishes…"

"Wishes?" Axel asked. "Roxas, he granted a wish for you?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, I have no idea what he's talking about." He turned to the Genie. "What are you talking about?"

The Genie just shook his head. "If you don't know, I can't tell you," he said stubbornly. And in an instant, he disappeared.

"Well that was weird," Axel said, shrugging. "I think he's mistaken you for someone else or something. Well, let's head back."

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. Then he began to rub his head. "Man, I don't know what's with this place, but my head aches all of a sudden."

"Probably too much sun," Axel guessed. "Come on."

As they walked to the exit, they chatted a bit more. "I sure wish I knew how come Xion and the others are alive. I'm really happy about it, though, aren't you?" Roxas asked, looking up at his friend.

"_Larxene paid the price for disloyalty when she disappeared…"_

_

* * *

_

"Yeah," Axel replied. "I'm glad too."

"I'm glad you could all make it again, gentlemen," Luxord said, dealing the cards.

"I'm not here to lose all my munny," Xaldin said gruffly, taking his seat at the rec. room table. "I'm here to hear your news, Xigbar."

Xigbar let out a laugh. "Well, wait till you hear. Just wait till you hear," he said, shaking his head. "Every time I think about it I laugh."

Luxord dealt the cards. "Well, if you don't mind, hurry it up, Xigbar. We don't have all night…oh wait! We do!" He started to burst out in laughter.

"He's laughing at his own 'joke'," Xaldin grumbled, resisting the urge to break number X like a toothpick.

Xigbar picked up his cards and eyed them carefully. "Another dud," he murmured. "So yes, I was walking the halls last night and I just happened…"

"Don't give us that "just happened to be" routine, we know you're a sneak," came a voice. The three men turned around to see Demyx standing them, a tray of soft drinks in his hand. "Ginger ale for you," he said, bending down and placing the tall glass in front of Xaldin. "Root beer for you." He gave Xigbar his drink. "And orange soda for you," he finished, handing Luxord his beverage.

"Since when are you our waitress, Dem?" Xigbar asked with a chuckle.

"Wait_er_," Demyx corrected. "And since it's Moogle's night off, I thought I would do it. Plus, I love all the juicy tidbits I can find."

"So it's the gossip you want?" Xigbar asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, dude, cop a seat and join our game."

"Totally radical dudes!" Demyx exclaimed, eagerly taking a seat. It was then when he realized he knew nothing about playing poker. "Uh…"

"I'll start it off with 20," Luxord said, placing his munny in the middle of the table.

"I'll see you and raise you 10," Xaldin said, laying down his loot.

"Same here," Xigbar said, dropping his money in the middle.

"I'll see you and raise you 2 sticks of gum!" Demyx declared triumphantly, digging through his pocket. The other men just stared at him.

"2 sticks…of gum?" Luxord asked, disgustedly.

"Sorry to break it to you, Dem, but we're playing for money," Xigbar told the sitar player.

Demyx slumped back in his chair and pouted. "Oh, then I can't play. I spent my last wad of munny on that cheap phone imitation."

"Well that's what you get when you gamble with merchants in Twilight Town," Luxord said, stroking his beard.

"Okay I'll just watch and drink root beer," Demyx said. He stuck out his hand and snatched the root beer away from Xigbar, right when number II was about to take a sip.

"Hey!" Xigbar protested. "Anyways, enough rambling."

"Yeah, Xig, tell us what's so interesting!" Demyx exclaimed, bouncing in his chair.

"Don't ever invite a sugar-high kid to play with us again," Xaldin grumbled to Xigbar.

Xigbar looked at his cards, ignoring Xaldin. "So you know what I said last night about Poppet and kiddo?"

"You're talking about Xion and Roxas, right?" Demyx asked, raising his hand.

"Well I'm not talking about King Kong!" Xigbar said, getting a bit irritated. "Now no more interruptions."

"Yes, sir," Demyx pouted.

Xigbar let out a frustrated sigh and then continued, subconsciously switching the order of his cards while talking. "I was walking by Poppet's room last night on the way to the kitchen and I happened to catch Roxas in there with her." He paused to let Demyx get his 'oooooh' out and then continued. "They were talking and all and then before I even knew what was happening, Roxas said those 'three little words' to Xion."

"I like pie?" Demyx guessed perkily.

"No, nit-wit! 'I love you'!" Xigbar answered.

"Sorry, I can't say I feel the same," Demyx said, turning away disgustedly.

Xigbar just slapped his forehead and turned to the other men. "This kid's hopeless."

But Luxord and Xaldin were too distracted by what Xigbar had first said to even catch Demyx's misunderstanding. "That's not possible," Xaldin mused. "The kid is a Nobody! He doesn't have a heart! You can't love without a heart!"

"He's obviously gone mad!" Luxord exclaimed, slapping his cards down on the table. "He's been out in the sun too long!"

Xigbar chuckled. "That's what he thought we would say. But yeah, he said that Nobodies have feelings!" All of the men started laughing hysterically, except for Demyx who just sat there thinking.

"Isn't thinking something is funny a feeling?" Demyx asked quietly. All the men stopped laughing and stared at him. "Or isn't enjoying a poker game a feeling?"

Xigbar shook his head. "Dem, we don't question Xemnas' wise words. We just take his word for it. Sure, maybe Nobodies are capable of some minor feelings…"

"But nothing as big and foolish as love," Xaldin finished. "I've studied it, and it's sickening how people waste their lives on it. No one in their right mind would want to deal with it."

"Oh…" Demyx said, still as confused as ever. "So what happened next, Xigbar?"

"Oh," Xigbar said, putting his hands up and clearing his throat. "You'll just _love_ this part. So after Roxas said that they stared at each other with gushy eyes for a few moments before Xion told Roxas that she loved him. And then…" All eyes were on him as he paused for dramatic effect. Suddenly he whipped out an enlarged photo from behind his back, and at the first glance at it everyone gasped. The picture was of Roxas and Xion sharing their first kiss they had the previous evening.

"They didn't!" Xaldin gasped.

"They did," Xigbar said, nodding gravely.

"Woah woah woah, hold everything," Demyx said suddenly, getting everyone's attention. "I just so happened to be walking down that hall yesterday evening and I saw Axel at the door. Where were you?"

"The…" Xigbar began. "Air vent."

"Just walking by, eh?" Luxord asked, raising an eyebrow. Then he turned his attention back to the photo. "It really was a gamble…to create her."

"Looks like Roxas has fallen in love with our little puppet," Xigbar laughed. "I have a feeling...this isn't going to end well." He smirked mischievously.

Demyx scooted closer to examine the picture better. "Hmm…hey dude, it's kinda cute," he remarked. The others just ignored them.

"If they believe in love, they'll be living a lie," Xaldin said. "What should we do about these two? Inform Xemnas?"

Xigbar took out a stack of magazines that had been resting on his lap. "Behold, _The Xigbar Daily_. Xemnas never misses an issue, and neither does anyone else. By about this time tomorrow I think we'll all be in a big, fourteen-member meeting…that just might lose two of its members…"

* * *

"Why does it have to be raining in Twilight Town?" Roxas grumbled. He, Axel, and Xion were sitting on one of the couches in the Grey Room, trying to think up what to do instead of their usual ice cream routine.

"Well, look at it this way," Axel said. "Less calories."

"Yeah," Roxas said, still grumpy. "But I still wish we could sit on the clock tower, away from-" He pointed to the other couches where Vexen was examining Zexion's hair. He then turned to Xion, who was sitting rather close to him. "So, Xion, how was your mission today?"

"It was all right," Xion replied. "Larxene isn't half bad."

"Larxene!" Axel exclaimed, suddenly remembering what he had planned to do. He quickly got off the couch and headed for the hall. "You two have fun!" he called back, and then disappeared.

"Haha, I never knew Axel would fall in love," Roxas laughed, wrapping an arm around Xion.

"I wonder what's going to happen," Xion mused. "Should we spy on them?"

"Nah," Roxas replied, shaking his head. "We have other things to do."

Xion tilted her head. "Other things? Like what?"

Roxas leaned forward unexpectedly and captured Xion's lips with his, passionately tilting his head to the side. Just as he began to wrap his other arm around her, she pulled away abruptly. Her face was a bright red shade as she caught her breath.

"No, Roxas!" she whispered, looking around hastily. "Not here. Just imagine what would happen if anyone found out…"

Roxas glanced over at Saix who was giving him a questionable look. "Oops, sorry Xion," Roxas said, rubbing the back of his head.

Xion leaned her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his robe. "That's all right, Roxas," she murmured.

Roxas looked back to see if the others in the room were watching them. After he was certain they were still obsessing over gravity-defying hair, he relaxed a bit. "So what do you wanna do?"

Xion thought for a moment. "Hm…well we could talk about funny experiences," she suggested.

"All right!" Roxas agreed excitedly. "So I was in the kitchen making myself a sea salt smoothie once and Demyx was walking by…"

* * *

Axel walked down the halls nervously, trying to prepare himself for what he wanted to say. "I really hope I don't make her upset," he said to himself. At that moment, Lexaeus walked by.

"Hey, Lexaeus, have you by any chance seen Larxene?" Axel asked.

"…In the library," Lexaeus muttered, and then quickly walked away.

"Talk about anti-social," number VIII mumbled. He then headed for the castle's library.

The library was a rather large room, the colors matching the whole color scheme of the castle (grey and white). It was a rather tall room with tall daunting book shelves filled with millions of books. This was Zexion's favorite place to hang out, except when the Savage Nymph was around. When Axel got to the entrance door of the library, he paused. He could hear Marluxia's voice inside.

"Why not, Larxene?" Marluxia asked in an uncharacteristically pleading voice.

"For the last stinking time!" Larxene yelled, slamming her book down on the table. "I'm not interested in you!"

"Is it the way I look? How I talk? How I smell?" Marluxia inquired, kneeling on the floor beside Larxene's chair.

"All of the above and MORE!" Larxene exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice. "Now, I'm warning you, if you don't get out now, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"But Larx!" Marluxia protested.

Her anger rising to its highest, she raised her hands and shot electricity at number XI. With a yelp, Marluxia quickly got to his feet and raced out.

When he saw Axel at the door, he paused to catch his breath. "Turn back!" he warned. "Going in there will be like walking into the lion's den!" And with that, he scurried away to go tend to his garden.

After viewing this little exhibition, Axel was having second thoughts about talking to Larxene. "Maybe she's in a bad mood?" he said to himself. "Well, there's no harm in trying." He entered the room part way, knocking on the open door. When Larxene looked up from her book and saw Axel there, her expression immediately changed.

"Um…can I come in?" Axel asked nervously.

"Sure," Larxene replied, putting a bookmark in her book and closing it. "What's up?"

Axel walked over to the table where she had been reading at and took a seat next to her, trying his best to remain calm. He was relieved that she didn't seem to be angry, but he was still nervous about the topic. "Uh…it's about yesterday morning…after breakfast."

Larxene felt a knot in her stomach and her face began to heat up. _"What's the matter with you, Larxene, this isn't your normal behavior at all! Think tough! Think pain!"_ But her thoughts were broken by the look in Axel's eyes which captured her glance. She paused for a moment, staring intently at him, waiting for him to continue.

When Axel saw that Larxene wasn't going to say anything, he proceeded. "So…this is love?"

Larxene sighed, feeling herself being filled with mixed emotion. She put her elbows on the table and dug her fingers into her hair. "I don't know," she muttered with a humorless laugh. "You're the only one I don't feel like breaking like the toothpick you are…"

Axel felt a bit insulted but tried not to let it bother him.

"At first I did…flirt with you just to play with your lack of feelings…but after a while…I actually started to think that I _felt_ something for you…" She let out a soft groan. "I hate to admit it but…I'm really confused."

"I am too," Axel said, scooting his chair a little closer to her. "I never knew that the Savage Nymph would turn out to be not-so-savage."

"Heh, well thanks," Larxene said sarcastically, taking her face out of her palms. "You don't know how difficult this is for me…I'm not used to being nice to people…"

Axel put his hand on her shoulder. "Well, you didn't seem to have trouble with telling me that you love me yesterday," he pointed out.

"I don't know, I just had courage then," number XII said softly.

"Larx…" the Flurry of Dancing Flames began. "I never really got to tell you this…I love you."

Larxene felt her face burn, and her stomach twisted into all kinds of directions. Marluxia had told her that same phrase before, but the only thing it filled her with was anger and annoyance. So why was Axel different? Because…the Savage Nymph had fallen in love. "Axel…"

"And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Roxas and Xion. Don't listen to what the others say. Just believe we can love," he said firmly. "Just how I always believed you had a warm and fuzzy side to you." He flashed her a grin.

"Oh you," Larxene laughed, feeling her playful side come back to her. "Well don't just sit there! Kiss me!"

"I thought you'd never ask," Axel murmured. He scooped up Larxene in his arms, pressing her tightly against him, and locked lips with her. She let out a delighted squeal, surprised by the taste and feel. She wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling him closer to intensify the kiss. She then ejected the throwing knives between her fingers, cutting Axel's neck. Axel winced in pain, quickly removing his lips from hers. "Hey, be a good girl, Larxene," he said in a whisper.

Larxene let out one of her famous laughs. "Okay, as long as _you_ be a good boy," she said with a grin.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever known me not to be?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.

"I guess I'll just have to wait and see," Larxene teased. She then pressed her lips against Axel's once more.


	11. The Meeting

Chapter 11 - The Meeting

Roxas hugged the corner of his pillow tightly, trying to shield his eyes from the harsh morning light. Even though he was fast asleep, he still felt the warmth on his face. Rolling around on his other side, he smiled peacefully at the dream he was having. "Xion…" he mumbled. "Mmm…Xion…"

Just when his dream was getting to the good part, the strange alarm clock on his nightstand blasted away. _"__She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!"_

Roxas immediately sat up and did the first thing his instinct told him to do – throw the alarm clock out the window. After he heard the sound of the Beatles slowly fade away, he rubbed his eyes sleepily. "What the? I don't remember having a weird singing alarm clock…"

Rudely awakened, Roxas decided to get up and start the day. After he had dressed into the usual black robe, he stepped out into the hall where he met Xion. "Oh hey Xion," he greeted. "You just brightened up my morning."

Xion blushed. "Really?" she asked, feeling a bit shy.

Roxas wrapped an arm around his friend. "Yeah, c'mon, I'll tell you about it at breakfast. Do you want to eat around the big table or would you prefer eating at one of the smaller tables?"

"Smaller," Xion replied.

"All right," Roxas agreed, and the two started down the hall. "So how'd you sleep last night? Any strange dreams?"

Xion shook her head. "Nope, only good dreams," she replied with a grin.

Roxas smiled fondly. "Yeah…me too."

After a few minutes of walking and talking, the two arrived at the door to the breakfast room. They were surprised to hear no voices at all. "That's strange," Xion mused. "Maybe everyone is sleeping in or something."

At that moment they noticed a glint of red as the kitchen door closed. "Hey, maybe that's Axel," Roxas suggested.

"Well let's fine out," number XIV said. So they walked across the breakfast room to the kitchen, and opened the door slightly, trying their best to keep out of sight.

"Hey, Larx," Axel greeted, walking up to the stove. Larxene was already at work making the bacon for breakfast.

"Hey, Axel," Larxene replied, taking her eyes off the bacon for a moment to give him a smile.

Axel stood over Larxene for a while, watching every ingredient she poured on the bacon. When the Savage Nymph picked up the bottle of vinegar, he said, "Hey, easy on the vinegar this time."

"Haha, are you kidding?" Larxene laughed evilly. She started to drown the bacon with vinegar. "These people's stomachs can't stand too much sourness. And more pain for them means more fun for me!"

"Sadist," Axel mumbled.

"Pyro," Larxene said back.

Axel started to walk around the kitchen, noticing all the bags of sugar stacked in one of the corners. "Marluxia," he grumbled. Then he walked back to Larxene. "So, hey, how come you're up so early? It's not like you…"

"Well I'm tired of passing those creeps in the halls," number XII replied, adding some pepper to her bacon.

Axel suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Well I'm glad we're the only ones up."

"Hey, mister!" Larxene exclaimed, batting him away. "I'm working right now."

Axel turned Larxene around to face him. "Let the bacon burn. I like it that way," he said in a soft voice. The Flurry of Dancing Flames tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. As their lips moved against each other, a terrible thought entered Axel's mind, and he quickly pulled away from her. "Larxene!"

"What's wrong, Axey?" Larxene asked, rubbing her face against his chest.

"I just remembered something. I set Roxas' new alarm clock to go off ten minutes ago," Axel said, impending doom in his voice. "He might already be up." Suddenly in unison, the two slowly looked over to the door, where they saw Xion and Roxas standing, eyes as wide as basketballs. Axel slowly relinquished Larxene. "Um, heh, hey you two."

"Heh, wow, Axel," Roxas said, trying to make things less awkward. "Looks like things turned out okay yesterday evening?"

"Go away you nosey kid!" Larxene exclaimed, raising her hand to strike number XIII. But Axel caught her hand and gently held her back.

"Larxene…" number VIII said softly. From the tone of his voice, the Savage Nymph could tell he was asking her to try to be nice.

"I mean…" Larxene began, trying to think of a better way to put it. "We didn't see you there."

"Oh…we're sorry," Xion said awkwardly.

"C'mon you two," Axel said, walking to their side. "Let's go out into the breakfast room and talk. Larxene needs to finish the bacon."

When the three left the kitchen, they noticed that Lexaeus and Zexion had already arrived and were sitting at a table near the far end of the room. Roxas, Axel, and Xion took a table in the opposite corner of the room, saving a seat for Larxene as well.

"Well that was interesting, Axel," Xion commented with a bit of a laugh.

Axel rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Heh, yeah, well I guess we're together…"

Roxas smiled. "That's nice, Axel, now we both have special friends." He looked over at Xion who was examining her napkin.

"Hey, guys," Xion began, flipping over the napkin carefully. "This napkin says 'Castle Oblivion' on it. How come?"

Axel picked up his napkin and looked for the same letters, which he found in the bottom corner. "Probably leftovers from the conference luncheons we used to hold there," he guessed, folding his napkin over.

At that moment, something in the middle of the table caught Roxas' eye. "Hey, since when do we have menus?" he asked.

Axel and Xion then too realized that there was a menu in the middle of the table. "Don't know," number VIII shrugged, opening up the menu. He read the contents out loud. "'Bacon by Larxene, sausages by Marluxia, waffles by Demyx, and blueberry milkshakes by Zexion.' Oh and there's a note here at the bottom. It says 'please have your order ready when the waiter comes to your table'."

"Looks like Moogle complained," Xion giggled. "Wow, so many funny things happen in the Organization. I kind of enjoy being here after all."

Roxas placed his hand over Xion's. "Yeah, so do I," he said, gazing into her dark blue eyes. Suddenly he remembered something. "Hey, Axel."

Axel looked up from the menu. "Yeah?"

"Now that you've kissed Larxene can you explain kissing?" he asked eagerly.

Axel grew a bit nervous. "Well why do you need it explained? You've experienced it…" Roxas was about to open his mouth when the Flurry of Dancing Flames continued. "It's sort of like love – unexplainable. Now be a good boy and eat your food."

Roxas looked down at his bare place. "But the food isn't ready yet…"

"Then eat your napkin!" Axel instructed.

Roxas let out a laugh, but then recalled something. "Axel, do you have anything to do with that weird singing alarm clock that woke me up this morning?"

Axel looked away from Roxas, rubbing the back of his head. "No."

"He's lying," Xion whispered to Roxas. "You can tell because he's avoiding eye contact."

At that moment, the door opened and Xemnas walked in, followed by Saix. Xemnas had a scowl on his face.

"What's wrong, superior?" Saix asked.

Xemnas whirled around. "How would you like it if every time you went for the mail you got hit by flying alarm clocks? This time it was The Beatles!"

Roxas sank in his chair, hoping Xemnas wouldn't notice him.

* * *

"Wow, that sure was a close one at breakfast," Xion commented as she and Roxas walked down the halls to the Grey Room.

"Yeah, I know," Roxas agreed. "I was certain Xemnas would throw something at me."

Xion let out a laugh. "Well I'm glad he didn't. But, hey, didn't you notice Xigbar giving us weird looks?"

Roxas shrugged. "Yeah, but he could have been looking at Axel or Larxene or somebody."

They reached the end of the hall and entered the Grey Room. As soon as they did, all the members who were sitting on the couches (who were Demyx, Lexaeus, Vexen, Marluxia, and Zexion) looked up from their copies of _The Xigbar Daily_ and stared at them.

"Why are they staring?" Xion whispered to Roxas.

"Dunno," Roxas whispered back.

At that moment, Xigbar came up from behind them, slapping Roxas on the back. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the legendary couple," he said with a smirk.

Both of them froze. "C-cou…ple?" Xion asked fearfully.

"Oh, I guess you haven't seen this," Xigbar said, bending over and handing them a copy of his magazine.

They gasped when they saw the cover. It had a picture of them kissing, and in bold letters it said 'The Love that Never Was'.

A bitter chill ran down Roxas' spine. He knew how the Nobodies 'felt' about feelings, and he and Xion were sure to be in big trouble. He looked over at Xion who was probably thinking the same thoughts. The scared look on her face made him want to do anything to save her from punishment.

Xigbar sensed their fear, and he simply mocked them. "That's what you get when you toy around with 'love'."

"Oh, shut up, Xigbar," came a voice. Xion, Roxas, and Xigbar turned around to see Axel standing there. "Just leave them alone, okay?"

Xigbar smirked. "Fine, but they'll get what's coming to them." With that, he walked over to one of the couches to chat with his consumers.

Roxas and Xion let out a relieved sigh simultaneously. "Thanks, Axel," number XIII said.

Axel sighed, and looking straight ahead, he said, "I can save you from Xigbar, but not from Xemnas."

Xion looked up at number VIII anxiously. "Huh? What do you mean?"

At that moment, Saix appeared. The room grew silent. "I have an announcement to make. Because of the meeting that is soon to take place in Where Nothing Gathers, missions have been called off today. The meeting will begin in ten minutes, I expect you all to be there." And with that, he walked away.

Demyx glanced over at Roxas and Xion and noticed that little number XIV had a tear rolling down her cheek. "Wow, I kinda feel sorry for those two," Demyx whispered to Zexion.

Zexion turned the page in his magazine. "Hey, the spell of the week is Meteor Mirage!" he exclaimed, oblivious to what Demyx had said.

"Vexen, do you think they will eliminate them?" Demyx asked the Chilly Academic.

"If they do, it will be quite a shame," Vexen replied. "They would have been proven useful to my experiments."

Demyx rolled his eyes. "You and your experiments."

* * *

After about ten minutes, all fourteen members sat in their chairs in Where Nothing Gathers. Roxas and Xion were nervously shifting in their chairs, and Axel and Larxene didn't look too excited either. Xigbar had a smirk on his face, of course, and so did Luxord and Xaldin.

"I'm sure you're all aware of why I'm holding this meeting," Xemnas began, looking over all the members. "It has to do with two of our newest members, number XIII and XIV."

Roxas and Xion felt all eyes on them as they avoided making eye contact with anyone.

"In his magazine, Xigbar has written about an event that took place a few days ago, and I'm sure all of you have read about it," Xemnas continued. "But as we know, sometimes reporters can exaggerate, so we are going to let them deny it if it proves to be faulty." His gaze fell upon Roxas and Xion.

The room was silent, save for a couple coughs. Both Roxas and Xion had aching feelings in their stomach, and Axel and Larxene looked at them anxiously, wondering what was going to happen. At length, Xion spoke. "I've read it…and I don't deny it." There were a few gasps among the members. "I love Roxas, even if I don't have a heart."

Roxas nodded, somewhat relieved at Xion's boldness. "And I love Xion with all my soul."

There were even more gasps among the members. Xemnas sat back for a while, letting some members say what they wanted to.

"You love each other? As if," Xigbar spat. "That's impossible, unless you really do have hearts and you're just _posing_ as one of us."

"We will not let imposters among our ranks," Xaldin said gruffly.

"Honestly, it's impossible for Xion to be an imposter, she's only a replica," Vexen pointed out.

"Yet the puppet seems to have developed something close to feelings," Saix said in disgust.

"Oh my gosh, it's puppy!" Demyx exclaimed cheerfully. Everyone's heads immediately turned, and they all glared at him. "Never…mind," he said, sinking in his chair.

Xemnas cleared his throat. "Even though I am the superior, before I make any decisions, I will let each member say their opinion. Xigbar, proceed."

Xigbar sat up in his chair. "We all know Nobodies don't have hearts, right? And because we don't have hearts, we can't feel…"

"Objection!" Roxas cried out.

"Number XIII, this isn't a trial. Do not speak without permission," Xemnas instructed. Roxas sunk in his chair.

"So," Xigbar continued. "Either these two are lying just to get attention or I don't know, but I know that it isn't possible for them to feel the real thing."

Xemnas nodded to Xaldin whose turn was next. "Studying the Beast for a while now, I have learned that the power of love is simply a foolish weakness that only people with hearts can waste their life on. It is evident that you need a heart to feel love, so I do not believe that these two are in love."

It was Vexen's turn to speak next. "I am a scientist," he began. "So before I make any presumptuous accusations, I must research and study on this matter. I do believe that there is a logical explanation for all of this and I will test my hypothesis accordingly."

"I don't see it necessary for me to make a say in any of this," Lexaeus said quietly, so they skipped over him and moved on to Zexion.

"I agree with the others," Zexion said. "I do not believe it is possible for Nobodies to love, because we do not have hearts."

Saix then began to speak. "I was never fond of this puppet to begin with, and I think this 'love' will just be a distraction and prevent us from accomplishing our ultimate goal. I think any contact between these two should be eliminated at once."

Xion cringed. So far everyone's opinion was against them, and it was beginning to look bleak. Then suddenly she realized who was next – Axel.

"I used to believe the same thing," Axel said. "That Nobodies need hearts to feel love. But some things are just unexplainable. I've been watching these two for quite some time, they're my best friends, and even though they don't have hearts, they really do seem to have feelings. Hearts aren't what shape people and give them personalities – souls do. We Nobodies aren't just zombies, right? We enjoy doing things. Demyx, you enjoy goofing off and playing the sitar. Luxord, you enjoy gambling. Xigbar, you enjoy rambling, and the list goes on. I bet you all can think of something you enjoy. Well Xion and Roxas…they enjoy each other. I know this is startling because it's the first time you've encountered it, but maybe the reason why you don't have emotions is because you keep telling yourself you can't feel, not even realizing that you are feeling."

Everyone was silent for a moment, mulling over what he just said. Eventually Demyx sat up and took his turn. "I totally agree with Axel, dudes. I really do enjoy playing the sitar. And you guys enjoy other things. So I think you should just leave these two alone, they haven't done anything wrong."

Both Roxas and Xion were smiling now, feeling thankful for the few friends they did have.

It was Luxord's turn next. "I believe that everything we do in life is a gamble," number X began, causing a few members to roll their eyes. "Creating this puppet in the first place was a gamble, but so far it's proven to be rewarding. We are completing Kingdom Hearts faster. But I do not believe it is possible to love without a heart, so therefore I think this conspiracy should be nipped in the bud."

"What do you mean conspiracy?" Roxas exclaimed suddenly, shocking a number of people. "My love for Xion isn't a plot against the Organization!"

"Silence," said Marluxia. "It's my turn to speak. Sometimes…I do think I feel love," he glanced over at Larxene who glared at him bitterly. "But then I remember that love is foolish and only someone with a heart can feel it. And we don't need it."

Larxene then spoke her mind. "I agree 100% with Axey- I mean Axel! I used to not believe in love, but…after all that's happened, I think it is possible for Nobodies to love, even without hearts. Sure, it might not be as strong as love with hearts, but it's there."

"Can I say something?" Roxas asked. When Xemnas nodded, he continued. "I really _love_ Xion and I don't care what happens to me. All I want is Xion to be spared. She's done nothing wrong."

A teardrop rolled down Xion's cheek. "Roxas…it's not your fault. I love you and I won't let you get hurt."

As the two talked back and force, thoughts swirled through the member's heads. Xaldin was thinking it was sappy and pathetic, as was Marluxia. Demyx was crying himself, really touched by the scene. Larxene was glancing over at Axel who had his fingers crossed, hoping that this would have a happy ending. Vexen's mind was on his experiments back in his lab that this meeting was dragging him away from.

After Xion and Roxas were done talking (and crying) to each other, everyone was silent as they waited for Xemnas' decision. Xemnas just sat there, no expression on his face. After what seemed like centuries, he spoke.

"I have decided that these two can…pretend to be in love as long as it doesn't affect their missions. If I see that their performance record is dropping, then I will put an end to this. Meeting adjourned," Xemnas said.

Roxas, Xion, Larxene, Axel, and Demyx let out their breaths. It wasn't going to end messy after all. All the members warped out of Where Nothing Gathers, each going to their separate place. Xion, Roxas, Larxene, and Axel warped out into one of the hallways.

"Man, that was too close," Axel said, taking a breather.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. "My stomach still hurts." He looked over at Xion and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Xion?"

Xion looked up at him and managed her best smile. "Yeah, just a little shook up. Boy, if I could get my hands on that Xigbar…"

Roxas wrapped an arm around her. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But Xemnas seems okay with it, as long as we do our work. Starting tomorrow, we'll eliminate every Heartless in sight, and them some!" he declared.

Xion giggled. "Okay," she agreed.

"And since we have the rest of today off we'll spend it together." He then looked back at Axel and Larxene. "You two don't mind, do you?"

Larxene stepped a bit closer to Axel. "No, not at all," she said.

"Yeah, we can all meet up at the end of the day for ice cream," Axel suggested.

Roxas nodded. "All right. C'mon, Xi-Xi."


	12. The Flying Nobody

Chapter 12 – The Flying Nobody

"So what do you want to do today, Xion?" Roxas asked as the two walked hand-in-hand down the hallways.

"I don't know," Xion shrugged. "I guess if you can't think of anything better we could go to Twilight Town and look around."

"Sounds fun," number XIII said with a smile. Just when they were about to open the dark corridor, Xigbar appeared.

"You know, you two, you really made a fool out of me today," Xigbar said in his normal tone of voice.

Xion and Roxas stepped back a little. They weren't sure what to expect from the Freeshooter.

"And that isn't very nice," Xigbar continued. "And don't think this will go by unnoticed. The magazine today…well it's just a _sample_ of what's to come. Just keep that in mind. Later!" And before the two could ask him any questions, he had disappeared around the corner.

"Roxas…" Xion began, clinging to number XIII's arm. "What was he rambling about?"

"I don't know," Roxas replied. "That guy never makes sense. He's like the Chesire Cat. Well, c'mon, let's go." He then opened the dark corridor, and both of them disappeared.

They arrived shortly afterwards in Twilight Town, in the Sandlot to be exact. It was a nice warm day in the little town, smelling slightly like rain from the previous day.

"Well, c'mon, let's go find some fun," Roxas said. He was about to start out when Xion caught his hand.

"No, Roxas wait," she said softly. Roxas turned around to face her. "Now that we're away from the other members, I need to talk to you."

A look of concern passed over Roxas' face. "Yeah?" he inquired.

Xion glanced over at a bench. "Can we…sit down?" she asked. Her blue eyes seemed to be full of sadness and worry.

"Sure…thing," he replied. He led her over to the bench and they both took a seat.

Xion turned herself to face Roxas better and tried her best to remain eye contact with him, but once in a while she would glance a way. "Well…first of all…thanks."

Roxas tilted his head. "For what? Axel was the one who gave the big speech about the heart…"

Xion placed her hand on his arm and smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah, I know, but for what _you_ said. You're really sweet, Roxas."

Roxas felt his face turn red, but he tried to remain calm, even though his stomach was already starting to turn. He wrapped an arm around his friend and scooted her closer to him, gently guiding her head to rest on his shoulder.

Xion let out a content sigh and buried her nose in his jacket. After a moment of peaceful silence, she spoke. "Even if they had done something like forbidden us to see each other, I would have found away to get to you. Because I don't care what those control freaks say, I love you."

Roxas rested his head on top of hers. "Same here," he agreed. "But I'm so happy that they haven't done anything like that yet. So all we have to do is stay on our toes and we'll be fine."

"There are still things we need to worry about though," number XIV said, feeling a little downcast. "Like how I'm alive."

Gently lifting her chin with his hand, Roxas gazed into her eyes. "We don't have to worry about that. Let's just pretend that the things I remember, and also the little things you barely remember, never happened. That none of the Organization members died, that Larxene and Marluxia didn't try to take over the Organization. Understand?"

"Yeah, I got it memorized," Xion answered with a laugh.

This caused Roxas to let out a laugh also. "Axel is contagious, isn't he?"

"Mhm," she agreed.

Roxas gazed into Xion's eyes for a few moments longer before he began to gently draw her face closer to his. When their faces were only a few inches apart, he softly whispered, "If I had a heart, it would belong to you." Closing his eyes, he then drew her face closer until their lips collided, and he began to kiss her. Xion sighed contently into his mouth and every muscle in her body relaxed as she shared a long and sincere kiss with her Roxas. All the problems around them seemed to melt away from their memories, and they could only remember the good times, like the ice cream sunsets and the missions they shared. Nothing else mattered.

"Hey, look, it's Roxas!"

Startled by the voice, Roxas and Xion quickly separated. They were surprised and totally embarrassed to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette standing there. They didn't even want to see how red their faces were.

"Oh, sorry, did we interrupt anything?" Olette asked.

"Oh, uh, no," Roxas replied, rubbing the back of his head. He then quickly got up. "Uhh…this is my friend Xion. Xion, this is Hayner, and Pence, and Olette."

Xion stood up too and stuck out her hand, trying to overcome her embarrassment. "It's nice to meet you three."

"Nice to meet you Xion," Olette said, shaking Xion's hand.

"Hey, Xion," said Hayner, giving her a high five.

As Pence shook Xion's hand, he asked. "Hey, aren't you the girl who Roxas and that red dude were looking for?"

"Yeah, I think so…" number XIV replied, trying to remember.

"It's funny how you all dress the same," Hayner commented. "Do you know a guy with light brown hair that stands up straight?"

"Demyx?" Roxas hazarded a guess.

"See ya," Hayner said. He turned to walk away, but Olette caught his hand.

"Hayner, don't be impolite!" she snapped.

Hayner stared at the two for a moment before he realized that they probably didn't know anything about the Demyx swindle. He wiped the sweat off his brow and returned to his usual self. "So what are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Oh, we have a day off and we don't know what to do," Roxas explained.

"Well you could hang out with us," Olette suggested.

"Yeah!" Pence exclaimed. "We were just on our way to buy an airplane!"

Xion tilted he head. "An airplane?"

"Yeah," Hayner said, putting one of his large hands in his pocket. "Well, not a real one, but there was this one we saw in this catalog that we liked." He turned to Olette. "Hand me the catalog."

"The catalog?" Olette asked. "I thought you had it!"

"No! I thought you did!" Hayner snapped back. Then they both turned to Pence.

"Chill out, I borrowed it as a pillow when I slept on the ground of The Usual Spot," Pence said.

"Lazy Pence," Hayner mumbled, rolling his eyes. Then he turned back to the two Nobodies. "Well, we're going to the store right now to buy it. Wanna come?"

Roxas looked over at Xion. "Do you wanna? I'll go if you go."

"Well I'll go if you go," Xion replied.

"Yeah, but do you want to go?" number XIII inquired.

"Do you?" the girl Nobody answered.

"Well I'll go if you wanna go," Roxas replied.

Xion's grin expanded. "Yeah, well I'm gonna go if you go."

"Well…?" Roxas asked.

Then, as if reading each other's minds, they turned to the three and said simultaneously, "We're coming."

Olette let out a laugh. "Well that was interesting."

As the five of them walked toward the hobby store that was located in Tram Commons, they chatted.

"So how has everything been lately?" Pence asked Roxas.

"It's been good," Roxas replied, kicking a crushed soda can out of his path. They were taking the back alley as a shortcut, and it was usually littered with garbage.

"So what exactly do you guys in the black coats work for?" Hayner asked, taking out the chewing gum from his mouth and sticking it on the back of Olette's neck. Olette let out a shriek, which just caused him to laugh in satisfaction.

"Oh we work for a shoe polish company," Xion replied. But at the same time she had said that, Roxas said 'a group of interior designers'.

The three looked at them with puzzled looks.

"We're interior designers that give free shoe polishes!" Xion quickly corrected. She was relieved when the confused looks on the trio's faces disappeared. "Interior decorators?" she then whispered to Roxas in disbelief. "Can you image a house Marluxia would design???"

"Cotton candy with pansies growing out of the sides," Roxas whispered back. "Well remember when Demyx was polishing my shoes? He used sandpaper and destroyed half of them!"

Xion giggled. "Yeah, I remember that. I'll never forget the expression on Saix's face when you arrived in the Grey Room bare-foot."

"So, Roxas, Xion," Olette began. "Are you two in a relationship?"

"Olette!" Pence snapped. "Sorry, she can be a bit nosey sometimes…" he apologized to the Nobodies.

Roxas rubbed the back of his head. "Uhh…well…yeah…kinda…"

"Aw, that's cute," Olette commented.

But before Olette could say anymore, they arrived in front of the hobby store. As they entered, Roxas and Xion observed that it was a rather small shop, but there were all sorts of toys everywhere. Airplanes hanging from the ceiling, trains going around on tracks hanging from the ceiling, and wooden shelves full of paint buckets and wooden figures were among the few things the store had to offer. Neither of the two Nobodies had ever been in a shop like this, and everything was strange and new to them.

"We're going upfront to ask the cashier for the plane, because we put it on hold," Pence explained. "You two and wander around the store if you'd like."

So as the three children went up front, Roxas and Xion wandered around, thinking how odd everything was.

"What's this?" Roxas asked as they stopped in front of a dress-up bin. He picked up a strange blue striped cap that was called a train conductor's hat.

"Looks like the funny hats the men that drive that train wear," Xion replied. "Try it on!"

Roxas glanced around. "Are you kidding me? With this hair?"

Xion giggled. "Aw, c'mon, it's not as bad as Axel's. Try it on!" She took the cap from his hands and placed it on his head. "There."

Roxas picked up a small mirror with a wooden frame and looked into it. "I look ridiculous!" he laughed.

"Aw, I think you look cute," Xion commented cheerfully. "We should show the others."

Roxas shook his head and removed the hat. "No thanks," he said, throwing the hat back in the bin.

At that moment, Pence, Hayner, and Olette came to them, a big box in Hayner's arms.

"We got it!" Hayner said.

"Yeah, and just enough money too," Olette put in.

"Let's go outside and see how it works!" Pence exclaimed, excitedly jumping up and down.

So the three left the store and went into the streets. When they were as far away from the building as they wanted, Hayner set the box down.

"Few, that was heavy," Hayner said, wiping the sweat off his brow. "I'm not the one who's going to carry it to The Usual Spot when we're done with it here."

"Hayner, stop whining," Olette told him.

"Okay, everyone, step back!" Pence instructed. After everyone did, he threw open the flaps of the cardboard and box and heaved out a beautifully crafted model airplane. The other two children gasped, but the Nobodies just stared at it, not too sure what to think.

"It's a beauty," Hayner said in awe.

"And so large, too," Olette commented.

Pence gingerly set the airplane down on the pavement. "Yeah, it's so large I bet a person could fly on top of it. So, who wants to fly it first?" He bent down and picked up the controller from the box.

"I was the one who contributed the most money, so I think I should fly it first," Hayner said proudly.

Olette rolled her eyes. She wanted to fly it first, but there was no use in arguing with him. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter who flies it first. So you can, Hayner."

"Yes!" Hayner exclaimed in triumph, snatching the controller from Pence. He then picked up the airplane and set it a ways in front of him, then stepped back. He was about to hit the 'on' button when something occurred to him. "This airplane is rather large…" He looked back at Roxas with a mischievous grin on his face. "Roxas, front and center!"

"What?" Roxas asked, confused.

"He means go to him," Pence replied, pushing the Nobody forward.

"Yeah?" Roxas asked Hayner.

"This first flight is too precious to waste," Hayner began. "And since the airplane is so large…why don't you ride on top of it?"

Roxas stepped back, shocked. "M-me? Go up in the a-air? On t-that?" he stuttered.

Hayner smirked. "Yeah, why not? Or are you chicken?"

Xion ran up to Roxas quickly and clung to his arm. "No, Roxas, please don't do it! It's too dangerous! You might get killed!"she pleaded.

"Pff, this is pathetic," Hayner scoffed. "This guy's beaten up all kinds of enemies and he's afraid of one little plane ride…Chicken!"

"Shut up!" Roxas barked back, filling with anger. "I'm not a chicken!"

Hayner raised an eyebrow. "Then you'll do it?"

Number XIII looked at Xion's worried expression, but then at Hayner's smug one, and made up his mind. "Yes."

"Roxas!" Xion cried. "Please don't! I don't want to lose you!"

Roxas wordlessly pulled her into an embrace. He then gently kissed her forehead, relinquished from her arms, and headed towards the airplane. Xion went back slowly and stood next to Olette, though her eyes never left Roxas. As she watched him climb onto the toy plane, she let out a little whimper.

"Aw, don't worry, your boyfriend's going to be all right," Olette reassured her. Xion just let out a sniffle. "Look, he's not even going to control the plane, Hayner is." She stood there for about a second before she realized what she had just said. "Hayner is??? Wait a second!" But it was too late, Roxas had already taken flight.

Hayner stood looking skyward, moving the joystick of the controller in his hand. All four of them watched as the airplane with Roxas flew about the sky at a respectable speed.

Meanwhile in the air, Roxas was having a blast. "Wow, this is just like flying in Neverland!" he exclaimed, looking down at the people below. He could barely see the top of Xion's black hair, and he was hoping she wasn't worrying too much. But she was. She was so sick with worry that she couldn't even smile when he waved to her.

After making Roxas do a few laps around the middle buildings of Tram Commons, Hayner was starting to get restless.

"All right, that's enough! Bring him down!" Xion called to Hayner.

"Bring him down?" Hayner asked in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me! I've merely begun!" With that, he pressed the speed button. Xion gasped as Roxas sped up and started to weave in between the buildings.

"What is Hayner thinking?" Roxas exclaimed, clinging tightly to the airplane. "He's going to make me crash!" As he flew around in circles, his head barely missed being smashed into a building four times. "Hayner!" he called in his loudest voice possible. "Cut it out!"

Xion heard Roxas' cry and she quickly shouted at Hayner. "You heard him! Cut it out!"

Hayner let out a sigh and shook his head. "All right, all right." He pressed the slow down button, but nothing happened. He pressed it again. And again. It came to the point where he was making his finger turn red by smashing the button. "Darn button is stuck!"

"Oh no!" Xion gasped.

"Gosh, give me that!" Olette exclaimed, getting a bit annoyed. She tried to grab the controller from Hayner, but Hayner held on to it.

"No! What would a girl know about airplanes?" Hayner snapped, trying to loosen Olette's grip.

"More than a dummy like you!" Olette replied, pulling with all her might.

"Guys, stop!" Xion shrieked. "He's flying up-side-down!"

That broke the two's concentration, and the controller flew out of their hands. Before anyone could catch it, it fell down the gutter.

"No!" Xion cried. "Now what?!"

"The plane's gone berserk!" Pence reported. "Roxas!" he called out. "You're going to have to steer the plane down!"

"What?!" Roxas exclaimed. Now he was beginning to worry. He tried to pull on the wings but it didn't seem to help. Down belong he could see Xion panicking. Suddenly he realized where he was headed – straight for a building. He tugged on the wings harder, but that didn't change his course. "No!" he exclaimed, gritting his teeth. "I won't give in!" Then, with all his might, he tugged on one of the wings, and it curved at the last second, barely missing the building. "Few," he let out his breath. He now knew how to control the plane.

"Oh, Roxas, please don't crash!" Xion cried, crossing her fingers.

"It looks like he's got control of it now," Olette observed. "Don't worry, he'll steer himself down."

Roxas' plane curved around a tall building, making a u-turn. "Landing will be hard." He told himself. "If I mess up I could be killed. I have to concentrate." As the landing spot on the ground came into view, he squinted his eyes and zeroed in on it. He focused his entire mind on that single spot. But then…

_"Roxas, don't be sad. I came from you and Sora. I am you... the same way that I am Sora. You'll forget me, but the memories themselves will never go away. Memories of you and me will always be together... forever, inside him."_

His concentration broke, and he fell off the plane, plummeting downwards. The plane kept on going until it crashed into a building, and then it too fell to the ground below.

"Roxas!" Xion cried, running as fast as she could toward the falling Nobody. She jumped in the nick of time, spread out her arms, and barely caught him from a surely fatal accident. He was heavy in her arms and she couldn't hold his wait, so they both collapsed on the ground. Xion arms ached, especially now that they were squished under Roxas' body, but she was so grateful he was alive.

"Xion," Roxas breathed, knowing that if he had a heart it would be pounding. "Ugh…"

Xion quickly slid her arms out of under him and sat up. "Roxas are you all right? Are you hurt? Say something!"

Roxas slowly sat up and rubbed his head. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit winded," he replied. Then he rubbed his back and winced. "And sore."

Xion threw her arms around number XIII and squeeze him tightly. "Oh, Roxas, you don't know how worried I was! Please never do that again!"

Roxas blinked. "Don't worry…I won't….But you really shouldn't have tried to catch me like that. You could have gotten hurt."

"Better me than you," Xion mumbled. "What happened up there anyways? You seemed to have everything under control and then at the last second you fell…"

Breathing out, Roxas replied, "I…just had another flashback."

A look of concern passed over Xion's face. "Another one?"

Roxas sighed. "Yeah, and it brought back bad memories." He gently laid his hand on top of hers. "But I have to keep telling myself that no matter what has happened, you're here now, and that's all that matters." He managed a smile.

"Hey dude, are you okay?"

The Nobodies turned to see Olette, Hayner, and Pence running towards them. Xion got on her feet and then helped Roxas up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Roxas replied. "A couple pulled muscles, but otherwise yeah."

"Wow, that was like too close!" Pence exclaimed. "Xion, you saved his life!"

"I did?" Xion asked.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Xi-Xi, I really owe you one." He then turned to Hayner. "I'm sorry the plane broke…"

Hayner shrugged. "Nah, forget it, it was my fault. I'm just glad no one's hurt."

"You sure?" Xion asked.

"Positive," Olette replied. "But I think you two should rest. We're going back to The Usual Spot, but you don't have to join us if you don't want to."

All right," Xion agreed. "We'll head to the clock tower for ice cream. Maybe our other friends will be there."

Hayner looked apprehensive. "Other friends? You mean the guy with the light brown hair that stands up straight?"

"Demyx?" Roxas asked. "Nah, I don't think so."

Hayner let out his breath. "Okay, few. Well, see you later I guess."


	13. Namine

Chapter 13 - Namine

Roxas and Xion walked up the path to the clock tower with their ice cream, the slight breeze blowing their hair. Roxas was slightly limping because of the previous accident, but he managed to make it up all right. When they got to the top of the tower they saw that Axel and Larxene were already there, and Axel was trying to convince Larxene to try the sea salt ice cream.

"Oh, hey you two," Axel greeted, turning around. "You're a little late. What'd you do?" Then he noticed Roxas' limp. "And why are you limping, Roxas?"

Number XIII and XIV took their usual seats (Larxene was sitting on the other side of Axel). "It was the most interesting experience," Roxas replied.

"Well, c'mon, don't wave a carrot in front of a horse's nose and pull it away," Axel said with a laugh. "What happened?"

"Well," Roxas began, licking his salty ice cream. "We ran into Hayner, Pence, and Olette and they bought a giant model airplane. They somehow convinced me to ride on top of it while they flew it. Well, you can just imagine what happened."

Axel's green eyes grew wide. "You mean you fell? Wow, Roxas, can you be more stupid? Next time try safer ways to impress Xion."

Xion giggled. "Even if he was trying to, he didn't impress me; he just worried me to death."

Roxas laughed and gently nudged Xion.

"So how was it like flying on top of the plane?" Larxene asked. "Were there any mechanisms built in that let you shoot at the pedestrians down below?"

"Like I would want to do that?" Roxas laughed. "Wouldn't I get arrested for disturbing the peace?"

Axel shrugged. "Yeah, but who can cage up a Nobody?"

Larxene smirked. "I bet I could."

The Flurry of Dancing Flames shoved an ice cream pop in Larxene's face. "So, c'mon, Larx, try some."

Larxene turned her face away in disgust. "Ew, no way."

"Aw, c'mon," Axel said. "It's good, I bet you'll like it."

"Yeah, you should try it," Xion agreed.

"I bet it'll taste gross," the Savage Nymph remarked stubbornly.

Axel let out a laugh. "So says the girl who makes sour bacon."

Larxene furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you ridiculing my cooking? 'Cause if you are…" She produced a small electrical current from her hand.

"Try some," Axel insisted, shoving the ice cream in front of her face. "If you don't like it you can…smear it all over my face."

A naughty grin appeared on Larxene's face. "Is that a promise?"

"Yeah, sure," Axel replied.

Larxene's grin widened, and she noticed that behind Axel, Xion and Roxas were exchanging glances that seemed to say 'this could be good'. "All right…I'll try your ice cream." She carefully took the ice cream pop from Axel and held it in her glove for a while, staring at it. She then slowly moved it up to her lips and gave it a lick. But as soon as she did, her pupils dilated. "Hey! No fair! This is actually good! And I was so looking forward to smearing it all over your face!"

Axel let out a chuckle and wrapped an arm around number XII. "See, told you you'd like it."

"Yeah, it is surprisingly good," Roxas put in.

The four of them sat looking at the sunset for a while before Xion spoke.

"Wow, it's strange to have four up here instead of three," she commented. "How do you like it, Larxene?"

Larxene shrugged. "It's all right. Better than walking around the halls of the castle and seeing who I can trip."

Number VIII chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that one time you decided to pick on me. I actually had half a mind to invite you for ice cream just so you would stop tripping me!"

All four of them let out a laugh. After their laughter ceased, they sat licking their ice creams a bit before they continued on chatting.

"So we told you about our day," Xion began, addressing Axel and Larxene. "How was yours? What did you guys do?"

Axel finished the remainder of his ice cream and stuck the stick in his pocket. "Oh, we just hung out in the Grey Room for a while."

"You didn't happen to encounter Xigbar, did you?" Roxas inquired, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Yeah, that creep came up to us once," Larxene answered. "He said, and I quote 'if you two get any crazy ideas from Poppet and kiddo, this Organization is really gonna be done for, man.'"

Xion laughed slightly at Larxene's imitation of Xigbar, but then her mood became serious. "Oh…I hope he doesn't cause trouble for you guys too…"

"Yeah…well unlike you two I know how to handle Xigbar," Axel replied. "He won't spy on me."

"So what else did you guys do today?" Roxas asked, licking up the last drop of ice cream from his stick.

"Well then we went to the gym for some fighting practice," Larxene replied, cracking her knuckles.

"Ohhhh," Xion said. "And who won?"

Axel looked down at his lap in shame. "Lar…Larxene."

Roxas started to burst out in laughter. "You got beaten by a girl?"

The Flurry of Dancing Flames elbowed Roxas. "Hey, she isn't just _any_ girl, she's the Savage Nymph. But anyways, last time I checked the records, when you and Xion trained, Xion beat you."

Roxas blushed and looked away. "Well…yeah she kinda did…"

"Hah, so there's no reason to be making fun of me," Axel said, sticking out his tongue.

"So, Larxene, how come you're alive?" Roxas asked, changing the subject.

"Excuse me?" Larxene asked, insulted. "Am I not supposed to be?"

"Oh," Roxas said, realizing that most of the other members who were sent to Castle Oblivion in the past didn't know they weren't supposed to be alive. So he just remained silent, staring down at his hands and fiddling with his ice cream stick. Suddenly an idea formulated his mind, and he started to repeatedly poke Xion's arm with the ice cream stick.

Xion turned in surprised and tried to bat him away. "Hey, stop it! What are you doing?"

"Being incredibly annoying," Roxas replied, continuing the poking.

Axel and Larxene watched in amusement as the two younger Nobodies teased each other, extremely thankful that they weren't in trouble. They secretly wondered whether they should keep their own relationship a secret or not. Larxene knew there would be trouble with Marluxia if he ever found out.

* * *

Marluxia appeared in his chair in Where Nothing Gathers. All the other chairs around him were empty, except for Xemnas'.

"You called me, superior?" Marluxia asked.

"Yes," Xemnas answered, his face as plain and straight as ever. "We have a visitor, and I've decided to entrust her to you."

"Her?" Marluxia asked. "Who is this visitor?"

"She's a Nobody with extraordinary powers. Her name is Namine," Xemnas explained. "You will be expected to find a spare room for her, give her a tour around the castle, and make sure she's comfortable. She's small, so don't lose her."

Marluxia rubbed his chin. "What a strange assignment. What about missions? Do I take her along with me?"

Xemnas shook his head. "No, I'm excusing you from missions. I expect that our two keyblade masters will work twice as hard to keep their 'relationship', so your work is not needed out in the field. Namine will only be staying for a week."

The Graceful Assassin nodded. "Right, I understand."

"Do you have any questions?" Xemnas asked. "Because if not, she's waiting for us to pick her up in front of the Old Mansion in Twilight Town."

"No, let's go," Marluxia replied. The two Nobodies warped out of their chairs and in a few seconds they arrived in front of the Old Mansion.

In front of the old rusty gate stood a rather young girl in white. Her clothes were spotless white and her hair was a very light blonde. The expression on her face was rather frightened, but there was a gleam of excitement in her eyes.

"Namine, this is Marluxia," Xemnas said, pointing at number XI. "He's going to be your 'babysitter' for the week you stay here."

"Nice to meet you, Marluxia," Namine said. "Wow, I'm so glad you guys are giving me the opportunity to meet Sora's Nobody. I've always wondered what Roxas is like…"

"But remember to keep your end of the bargain," Xemnas said. Namine nodded, and then Xemnas turned to Marluxia. "You don't have to give her a tour of the castle tonight, just find her a room." He then opened the dark corridor.

"Right," Marluxia said. "Come on, Namine." He then followed Xemnas through the dark corridor, Namine behind him.

Xemnas left for his room, and Marluxia led Namine down the halls, looking for a spare bedroom. The walk was silent for while, until Namine got brave enough to talk.

"So what is Roxas like?" she asked number XI.

Marluxia was somewhat surprised that the girl had spoken, but he kept his eyes on the halls before him. "I haven't done many missions with him, but I remember teaching him how to fight. He was pretty pathetic then, but he's improved. But he is very foolish…"

"Foolish?" Namine asked. "How?"

Marluxia looked back at the girl. _"She probably expects much from this Roxas. There's no reason why I should be the one to disappoint her,"_ he thought. "Oh, never mind, it's nothing."

Namine was a bit confused but nodded and said nothing. After a while, Marluxia spoke.

"Sorry for being nosey, but besides seeing Roxas, why are you here?" he asked.

"Oh, Xemnas said the Organization needs my knowledge for research," Namine replied.

Marluxia just nodded and thought nothing of it. Finally when he got to the end of the hall, he stopped. "All right, I found a room." He opened the door on the left and peered in to make sure it was vacant.

"Thanks," Namine said, stepping in the room. "This will be fine."

Marluxia nodded and then left her. As he walked back down the halls he thought, _"I wonder what extraordinary powers this girl has…"_

_

* * *

_

"See you tomorrow, Roxas!" Xion said, waving down the hall at Roxas.

"See ya!" Roxas replied. Then he entered his room and closed the door behind him.

Xion let out a content sigh as she walked down the halls towards her room. "I love Roxas," she said to herself cheerfully. Suddenly, Xigbar appeared from around the corner.

"Hey, Poppet," he said with a grin.

Xion kept on walking, trying to ignore him.

"Aw, that's not very nice, Poppet, ignoring the old man," Xigbar said, pretending to pout.

Xion stopped and turned around to face him. "All right, what do you want?" she asked, irritated.

"Oh, I just came to inform you that X-face has paired us together for tomorrow's mission," Xigbar said.

"X-face? Ugh, you sound like Demyx," Xion muttered.

"What can I say? He's contagious," number II shrugged.

"So that's all you came and bothered me about?" Xion asked testily.

"Yes, and also one more thing," Xigbar said, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. "Beware of witches in white."


	14. Poppet Runs Away

Chapter 14 – Poppet Runs Away

"What did he mean? What witch in white?" Xion asked herself. She had been awake since two o'clock in the morning, just staring at the ceiling and asking herself that question. "Was he just trying to scare me? Or does it really mean something?" She rolled over and looked at her clock. "Well, I might as well get up."

She didn't remember much of how she got up and got dressed, for her mind was still spinning. The next thing she knew she was walking down the hall towards the Grey Room. She soon arrived there, and most of the Organization members were already there, including Xigbar, talking to Demyx.

"Dude, don't you _ever_ try mango ice cream!" Demyx exclaimed. "It is gross!"

"How, man?" Xigbar asked.

"It tastes like perfume!" Demyx replied, making a face.

Xigbar chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "And you how do you know how perfume tastes?"

A sweat drop rolled down Demyx's face. "Well, Xaldin said it was soda…"

At that moment, Xigbar noticed Xion standing there. "Well, if it isn't Poppet," he said, turning towards her.

Xion's eyes narrowed. "What were you rambling about last night?" she demanded.

"Rambling? As if…" Xigbar shrugged. "So it seems you haven't heard."

"Heard what?" asked Xion.

Number II looked around and realized that Saix wasn't at his post yet. "Never mind, you'll hear soon enough."

"Hey, Xion!" Demyx exclaimed. "Have you seen today's issue of _The Xigbar Daily_? It's like RADICAL!"

Number XIV's eyes grew wide. "Wh-what's it about?"

Demyx picked up a copy of the magazine from off the table and opened it. "Well, it's mostly about yesterday's meeting," he explained. "But the way Xigbar explains it, is like AWESOME!"

"I don't even want to know…" Xion said. Suddenly she felt a light tap on her back, so she turned around to find Roxas standing there.

"Morning, Xi-Xi," Roxas said with a bright grin. He noticed Xigbar smirk but he was in too good of a mood to care.

Xion's frown disappeared and she too smiled. "Hey, Roxas, why so cheery?"

"I just had a good dream," Roxas replied. "And also there were no stupid alarm clocks to wake me up."

Xion giggled. "What was your dream about?" she inquired.

Roxas glanced over at Xigbar who had already whipped out a pen and notepad. Number XIII took Xion by the arm and led her over to the opposite corner, as far away from the Freeshooter as possible.

"They make such a cute couple," Demyx sighed, watching them from afar.

Xigbar let out a laugh. "Yeah, but I'm wondering how long that'll last. Poppet doesn't know she's about to meet her rival…"

"Listen up, everyone!" came a voice. All the members turned to see Saix at the doorway, accompanied by Marluxia. Everyone stopped their chatter and turned their attention to number VII. "I have an announcement to make. Since you all are living here, I find it necessary to inform you about our guest that will be staying here for a week." Marluxia stepped out of the way and revealed the girl in white. "Her name is Namine. Marluxia will see to it that none of you bother her. Now…on with the regular routine." He then took his place at the head of the room and the members resumed chatting.

As soon as Xion saw Namine, her brain went to work. _"She's wearing all white…is she a witch?"_

Roxas noticed that Xion had spaced out, and he began to wave his hand in front of her face. "Xion, you okay?"

Xion snapped out of her thoughts and blinked. "Huh? Oh yeah….I'm fine. It's just something Xigbar said."

A look of worry passed over Roxas' face. "Oh no, what'd he say?"

Number XIV shook her head. "No, it's nothing. He was just trying to scare me."

At that moment, the girl in white walked up to them and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Namine."

Roxas gave her a weird look, but tried to act friendly. "Um, I'm Roxas…and this is my best friend Xion."

"I know," Namine replied, grinning. "I've heard a lot about you, Roxas… and you too, Xion."

"From Xigbar's magazine?" Xion asked nervously.

"What?" Namine asked.

"Apparently not," Roxas remarked, sounding relieved.

"So…" Xion began awkwardly. She didn't know what to talk about, but she had a feeling this Namine wouldn't leave them alone any time soon. She would have wanted to be friends with Namine if Xigbar hadn't given her a suspicion. "Where are you from? And how come you're visiting?"

"I'm from the Old Mansion," Namine replied. "And your superior needs some of my knowledge for research, that's all. But I've always wanted to meet the Organization. What can you tell me about yourselves?"

"Well…" Roxas began, trying to remember the facts. "I don't know much about Xemnas, the superior, 'cause we don't see him much. Xigbar likes to gossip a lot. Xaldin doesn't really talk much to me, but I know that he likes to taunt people. Vexen is the Organization's scientist, but he's sort of our doctor too. Lexaeus doesn't speak much, but he's friends with Zexion, the bookworm. Saix is second in command and he's really rude to people, especially Xion. Axel is the best friend of Xion and me. Demyx is a wacky sitar player who likes annoying people, especially Xigbar. Luxord is a freaky gambler. Marluxia…well you know Marluxia. Larxene is the only other girl besides Xion, and she's usually pretty rude. She's also Axel's girlfriend. And yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Wow," Namine said. "Okay, I'll try to remember."

At that moment, Xigbar walked up. "Okay, Poppet, it's time to head over to Halloween Town."

Xion sighed. "All right. But wait, Roxas, who are you paired with?"

"Axel," Roxas replied. "But he hasn't shown up yet. He's probably still having breakfast with Larxene."

Xion felt a bit apprehensive about leaving Roxas with Namine, but Xigbar was practically dragging her away.

"Well, do your best, Xion," Roxas said cheerfully. Then he glared at Xigbar. "You! Don't you _dare_ hurt Xion in away way, size, shape, or form!"

Xigbar chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't."

After Xigbar and Xion disappeared through the dark corridor, Namine asked, "So how long have you been friends with Xion?"

Roxas shrugged. "Pretty long. She's my best friend. Why?"

"Just curious," Namine replied. _"She's just a friend, don't make any snap judgments,"_ she thought.

* * *

The dark corridor opened in the streets of Halloween Town, allowing Xion and Xigbar to exit.

Xigbar began to walk ahead but then realized that Xion wasn't following him. "Aw, c'mon, Poppet, what's the matter?"

"What do you know about Namine?" Xion demanded.

Xigbar chuckled, finding Xion's harsh tone of voice quite amusing. "Why do you ask?" he replied, pretending to be oblivious.

"Why'd you tell me to beware of witches in white?" she asked, frustrated.

Xigbar chuckled. "I'm not saying anything is certain, but Roxas _is_ Sora's Nobody, and Namine _is_ Kairi's Nobody. Like it or not, there might be some chemistry between them."

Xion was so angered that she summoned her keyblade. "You don't even believe in that stuff! Why are you making this up?"

A mischievous grin appeared on Xigbar's face. "As Vexen once said…'pity to be so ignorant.'"

That did it. What Xigbar had said pushed so many of Xion's wrong buttons that she felt like she was going to burst. "Just shut up! I love Roxas and he loves me! Nobody else!" She then ran off into Halloween Town.

* * *

"And this is the rec. room," Marluxia said. He was showing Namine around the castle as Xemnas had instructed, and he was showing the girl where the Organization relaxed.

"It's rather large," Namine commented. "What's the stage for?"

"Mostly Demyx," Marluxia replied, trying to hide the disgust in his voice. "Right now he's trying to get Xemnas to hold a talent contest, but personally, I hope he fails."

Namine laughed. "Why, does the Organization not have much talent?"

"Definitely not," Marluxia said, shaking his head in disgust. "I'm the only one who has talent here, but then again, that would mean I would be a sure winner. Fine, let Demyx get his way. It'll just mean an extra trophy for me."

"_Wow, this guy's pretty stuck up,"_ Namine thought. _"I wish Roxas was giving me the tour."_

"All right," Marluxia said, turning around. "Next room."

When they reached the next room - which just so happened to be the laundry room - Marluxia started to speak again.

"This is the laundry room where all the Organization members do their laundry. It's located right next to the k-" But he was interrupted by a loud noise coming from the hall.

"YAAAY! DONE WITH MISSION EARLY! I GET TO GOOF OFF!"

Marluxia and Namine stepped out into the hall to see Demyx racing down the hall. Marluxia sighed. "I wish I was on a mission…"

When Demyx saw the two, he stopped. "Hi! I'm Demyx! Nice to meet you!" he said, offering Namine his hand.

Namine shook it. "Nice to meet you too, Demyx."

"I was giving Namine a tour of the castle," Marluxia explained.

"Ohhhh," Demyx said. "Well that's no fun! Come with me, Namine! I know lots of fun things to do!"

"Like what?" Namine asked. Marluxia just rolled his eyes.

"Like stealing snacks from everyone else!" number IX exclaimed joyously. Then he leaned in closer. "Just stay away from Larxene, if you ever _think_ about touching her snacks, you'll get electrocuted for sure."

Namine nodded. "All right, but stealing snacks doesn't sound very nice…"

"It is for your belly!" Demyx replied, nodding enthusiastically.

"But we were about to tour my garden next," Marluxia protested.

"Garden, schmarden, there's always time for that later!" Demyx said with a wave of his hand. "But I'm so bored right now! No one else is here! Can I at least tag along with you two?"

Marluxia sighed. "All right, fine."

"Yahoo!" the Melodious Nocturne cried. "Namine, you're really going to like it here! Everyone is so fun to annoy! And the best part is – FREE FOOD!"

Namine laughed. "Well I'm only going to be here for a week, but okay."

As they continued with the tour, Marluxia lagged behind, because every time he tried to explain something, Demyx would butt in. So he just followed them, wishing he was out in his garden attending to his flowers.

After they walked around a bit, Namine began to ask more questions – especially ones about Roxas. Demyx, being the big mouth he is, answered them.

"So what does Roxas usually do after missions?" Namine inquired.

Demyx shrugged. "Oh, he usually just goes to the clock tower in Twilight Town and eats ice cream with Axel and Xion. Though I think Larxene went with them yesterday…"

That caught Marluxia's attention. "Larxene?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why…" Demyx replied, wringing his hands together. "Anyways, so that's usually what he does. Once I tried to teach him how to play the sitar but he got frustrated and left."

Namine nodded. There was a period of silence before Demyx spoke again.

"Oh, that reminds me, would you like to hear about the meeting yesterday?" number IX asked.

The girl in white shrugged. "Sure."

"Uh…no you wouldn't!" Marluxia exclaimed.

"Why not, Marly?" Demyx asked. "I bet she would. I mean, she's been asking about Roxas and it concerns Roxas."

"It does?" Namine asked.

"Yup," he replied. "So Xigbar caught Roxas and Xion k-" But at that moment, Marluxia clamped his hand over Demyx's mouth to prevent him from saying anymore.

"Demyx, you haven't finished the algebra homework Vexen gave you," Marluxia said. Demyx tried to reply, but it was muffled by Marluxia's hand. "I suggest you step to it, or else." He then shoved Demyx into a closet and slammed the door behind him. Namine just stared at him with a weird look. "It was nothing," he shrugged.

* * *

"So have you met the guest, Axel?" Roxas asked. He and Axel were weaving their way back to the dark corridor through the tricky mazes in Wonderland.

"Yeah, in the hall," Axel replied. "It's strange how the Superior picked Marluxia to look after her. Oh well."

"Yeah," number XIII agreed. "Hey, who is this Namine anyways? Why does Xemnas want her knowledge?"

Axel shrugged. "Dunno really. It's probably Vexen who wants her knowledge. You know - him and his experiments."

Suddenly they stopped. Someone was blocking their path – Xigbar.

"Hey," Xigbar said with a smirk.

Roxas summoned his keyblade. "What do you want? Get out of the way!" he growled.

"Hey, I'm not here to fight," Xigbar said. "Just to bring you tidings of your little Poppet."

Roxas immediately grew concerned. "Xion? What have you done to her?"

"Lost her in Halloween Town, actually," Xigbar replied casually.

"You WHAT?" Roxas exclaimed. Axel had to hold him back from attacking Xigbar. "How?"

"She ran away before I could stop her," the Freeshooter responded. "I did look for her, defeated a few Heartless on the way, but there was no sign of her anywhere."

Roxas looked to the ground and mumbled, "Why? Why would she just run away like that?" He then looked up at Xigbar. "What did you do to make her run away?"

Xigbar shrugged. "Nothing, tiger." And with that, he disappeared.

Roxas turned to Axel with a desperate expression on his face. "Axel, what are we going to do?"

"Simple," Axel said with a shrug. "First of all, we're not going to panic, and second, we're going to go to Halloween Town and look for her."


	15. At the Bottom of Curly Hill

Chapter 15 – At the Bottom of Curly Hill

Roxas and Axel appeared in the streets of Halloween Town, via dark corridor. As soon as they did, Roxas raced ahead.

"Wait a minute!" called Axel. "If you're too hasty you may overlook her!"

Roxas stopped and let out a sigh. "All right…I'm just worried. Halloween Town isn't exactly the safest place to be."

"I know I know, you've complain about leechgrave many times," Axel said, catching up to him. "Now just take it easy. Xion knows how to defend herself."

But Axel's words didn't ease number XIII's mind. "I…hope you're right."

They then started their search, looking in every nook and cranny of the streets. When they arrived in Guillotine Plaza, they split up to cover more ground faster, all the while calling out Xion's name. After they searched the whole area, they met back up.

"No sign of her," Axel reported, panting.

"Well we've gotta keep looking!" Roxas exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I know," number VIII said. "We still have a few graveyards to go through…"

"This place is pretty spooky," Roxas commented, shuddering.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "You scared?"

"N-no," he replied, shaking his head. "I just hope Xion isn't…"

They were about to go on when suddenly a pumpkin bomb whizzed past their heads. Roxas let out a groan, knowing exactly where it came from – Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

"I told you creeps to leave me alone!" Roxas exclaimed, summoning his keyblade. "Now scram!"

"No way," said Lock, crossing his arms. The three children started to run in circles around them.

"Please, we're in the middle of important business," Axel said. But the kids didn't stop.

Roxas let out a groan and looked pleadingly over at Axel who just shrugged. "Um…if you leave us alone we'll give you chocolate."

Immediately the kids stopped. "Ch-chocolate?" Barrel asked, his mouth watering.

"Yup!" Roxas answered.

"What kind of chocolate?" Shock asked.

"Ghostberry," he replied, taking three chocolate bars out of his pocket. "And they'll be all yours if you just leave us be."

The three kids formed a huddle and whispered among themselves.

"They must be speaking in a different language," Axel whispered to Roxas. "'Cause I don't understand a thing they're saying…"

"All right, if we get the chocolate, we'll leave you alone," Lock agreed.

Roxas let out a sigh of relief as he handed out the chocolate bars. After the children squealed with delight, they disappeared.

"I wonder if they'll realize that it's really just almond filled chocolate," Axel replied with a smirk. "And how come you even have chocolate on you anyways?"

"I…was going to share some with you and Xion…" Roxas replied quietly. "But finding Xion is more important! So c'mon!"

The two ran through the graveyard, their coats flapping in the wind. When they got to the third part of the graveyard, they halted.

"There's Zero," Roxas whispered, pointing up ahead at the flying ghost-dog. "Do you think his nose could be of some help?"

"Last time I heard," Axel replied. "He sniffed out Heartless. Xion's not a Heartless. The closest thing that would work would be a Sora-sniffer. Now I know many dogs that sniff Sora in the uh…but I don't know any that can sniff out Sora."

"Well Xion's not Sora," Roxas replied. "She's Xion. Now let's keep looking."

So they decided to forgo the hound dog and continued on with the search, calling out Xion's name.

* * *

Xion sat at the bottom of Curly Hill, the moonlight shining down on her tear-stained face. "Why does Xigbar have to be so mean?" she asked herself, her voice shaky. "Just because _she's _Kairi's Nobody doesn't mean they're meant to be…"

Suddenly she heard Xigbar's voice in her head, taunting her. He said, _"Why would Roxas love you, it would be like loving himself. You're his replica after all. Now Namine…if he were to love Namine, that would make sense."_

"Oh shut up!" Xion screamed. Suddenly she heard familiar voices.

"Axel, I think I heard her!"

"Where?"

"By that hill!"

"Roxas…" Xion sighed, hanging her head. "Why is he looking for me…?" Suddenly she found herself in the arms of Roxas, being squeezed tightly.

"Oh, Xion, there you are!" Roxas exclaimed. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Yeah," Axel added, leaning his back against the hill. "Roxas has been worried."

"Go away," Xion said, a tear drop rolling down her cheek.

Roxas was confused. He had spent all this time looking for her, and now that he finally found her, she told him to go away? It didn't make sense. "Xion, what's wrong?" he asked, tightening his grip. Xion tried to break away from him but he wouldn't allow it.

"It's that stupid Xigbar," she muttered. "I hate him."

"Oh no!" Roxas exclaimed, pulling Xion away from him so he could see her face. "What'd he do?"

"He said…" number XIV began. "That since you are Sora's Nobody…and Namine is Kairi's Nobody…and I'm just a replica…that…that…" She broke into tears again, resting her face against Roxas' shoulder. "Oh, Roxas, he's just making it even more confusing! I'm not supposed to be alive! I'm not supposed to love! And now I'm not supposed to be…with you? It just doesn't make sense!"

Roxas soothingly rubbed Xion's back, trying to calm her down. "I'm going to talk to that creep…there's no way he's getting away with this."

"But you better be careful, Roxas," Axel warned. "Xigbar is number II after all…"

"Rank doesn't matter," Roxas mumbled. "Xion matters. I would confront Xemnas himself if he hurt my Xion, not caring about the consequences."

Xion looked up at Roxas with pitiful eyes. "Roxas…you really mean that?"

"Of course I do, Xi-Xi!" he replied, flashing a grin. "I love you."

Xion sniffed. "And you always will? You won't love Namine?"

Roxas leaned in closer to her and whispered with a grin, "Of course not. As far as I'm concerned, she has nothing to do with this."

Xion let out a little laugh, admiring Roxas' face. She loved when it was so close to hers that she could see every detail. "Roxas…"

He leaned his forehead against hers, gazing into her blue eyes for a moment before bringing his face even closer. Their lips were about to make contact when…

"Woah, you two, not in front of me!"

Roxas let out a frustrated sigh and released Xion. "C'mon, Axel, why are you complaining all of a sudden?"

"If you want to kiss, kiss in private. Got it memorized?" Axel teased.

"Why don't you just leave?" Roxas suggested.

"Hey, these parts are dangerous! Those three kids might bomb you or something. And won't that be embarrassing!" Axel retorted.

Roxas sighed. He stood up, helping Xion up as well. "Fine, we won't kiss now. But we will…later."

"Just make sure Xigbar's not watching, and you'll be fine," Axel said, patting him on the back. "Now let's go back."

"I don't want to…" Xion said quietly.

"Don't worry, I won't leave your side for one minute," Roxas said grinning.

"But I didn't do my mission well today…Xemnas is going to be angry," number XIV said, fear in her voice.

"Well on the way back, we'll kill every Heartless in sight. How's about that?" Roxas asked, touching her cheek tenderly.

Xion managed a grin. "Okay, then let's go."

"With the three of us, we'll be unstoppable!" Axel declared.

* * *

"Gentlemen, you won't believe what happened!" Xigbar exclaimed. He, Xaldin, and Luxord were lounging in the Grey Room over a cup of earl grey tea.

Luxord set his tea cup on the coffee table and leaned in closer, intrigued. "What happened?"

"Poppet ran away!" Xigbar exclaimed, practically laughing. "Man, she is like so weak!"

"What happened?" Xaldin inquired.

"All I said was that she might have some competition with Namine and all, and she like totally freak out! It was totally pathetic!" He couldn't contain his laughter anymore, and he burst out in hysterics.

"You find it amusing, don't you?" Xaldin asked, raising his cup to his lips.

At that moment, Demyx raced up to them and landed on one of the couches with immense pressure, causing Xigbar to bounce a bit. "Hi everybody!" he greeted cheerfully.

"Don't you have a sitar to play or something?" Luxord asked.

"Oh, sure!" Demyx exclaimed. "Want me to play it for you?" He summoned his sitar and rested it on his lap.

"That's not what I meant," Luxord grumbled.

"So what's up, Demyx?" Xigbar asked, putting his hand on the sitar strings so it wouldn't play.

"Oh, right," number IX said, putting his sitar away. "I found the neatest contraption!" He produced a little metal object from his pocket. "Ta-da!" All three men looked at it in disgust.

"Demyx…" Xigbar began. "That's a…"

"Duh, of course I know what it is!" Demyx exclaimed. "It's a little spy device! So do you know what that means?" The other men just blinked. "IT MEANS SORA IS SPYING ON THE ORGANIZATION!"

There was a moment of silence before Xigbar spoke. "Wait a minute, Demyx…"

"There's no time to wait!" Demyx cried. "We have to tell the Superior immediately!" He jumped up but Xigbar pulled him down. When Demyx landed, his hood fell over his eyes.

"Demyx, that's not a spy device!" he yelled, hoping to get through to the sitar player.

"It's not?" Demyx asked from under his hood.

Xigbar pulled back Demyx's hood and shoved the device in his face. "No, Demyx, it is not! It's a toe nail clipper!"

Demyx's eyes locked onto the device. "A…toe nail clipper….?" He then sat up. "Pff, I knew that."

"No you didn't," Xigbar said.

"Did too," Demyx insisted.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"As if," Xigbar replied, ending the argument. "Anyways, I bet you don't even know what it does."

Demyx's mouth opened into a wide grin. "No…what does it do?"

"I'm not going to show you!" Xigbar exclaimed. "I don't take off my boots in public…" His eye then wandered to the other end of the room, where Roxas, Xion, and Axel were coming out of the dark corridor. "Be right back…" he said, standing up." He then walked over to the three and placed his hands on his hips. "Well, well, well, it's Poppet, kiddo, and Flamesilocks."

"Leave Xion alone!" Roxas yelled instantly.

Xigbar laughed, quite amused. "Calm down, tiger, I wasn't going to do anything. But, I must warn you Poppet, Xemnas might not let this 'relationship' continue after your performance today…"

Xion hid behind Roxas as number XIII yelled, "For your information, we cleaned out every Heartless in Halloween Town!"

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

At that moment, Vexen walked up. "Excuse me, number XIII and XIV, the Superior has ordered that I examine you both."

Both Roxas and Xion looked up at Axel to see what he thought. "Well, if those are his orders…" Axel said.

"He wants to make sure you both don't have hearts," Vexen explained. "This will only take a moment."

"As long as you don't take any of our DNA, then fine," Roxas agreed. He took Xion's hand in his and they both followed the scientist.

"All right, good, right this way," Vexen said. "To the lab, but don't touch anything, 'cause if anything is touched, the lap might blow up, and then the superior won't let me conduct anymore experiments. And then I'll be out of a job and he'll probably turn me into a dusk and…" The rest of what Vexen said was inaudible because he was too far away for Axel and Xigbar to hear.

"Vexen talks too much," Xigbar commented with a smirk.

"_What's with this guy?"_ Axel thought. _"He always seems to be plotting something…"_


	16. Vexen’s Examination

Chapter 16 – Vexen's Examination

Vexen's lab was a rather large and dull room, but it was clean. Everything shone a spotless white, even his lab coat and goggles. Roxas and Xion were stretched across two lab tables, apprehensively scanning their surroundings. Vexen was walking in circles around them, muttering inaudibly to himself as he read the directions Xemnas had left to him. When the Chilly Academic got to a certain clause, he raised his voice, "IF ANYTHING IS TO GO WRONG I WILL HOLD YOU FULLY RESPONSIBLE???" Roxas and Xion quickly sat up and looked over their shoulders at the scientist. Vexen had a frightened expression on his face, and he set the clipboard down on the counter and put on his rubber gloves. "All right…I think we should get…to work," he said.

Roxas lay back down, as did Xion. "What exactly are you going to do with us?" he asked.

"Yeah, and why are you wearing goggles?" Xion added. "You're not going to do any experiment are you?"

Vexen stopped adjusting his glove and looked Xion in the eye. "I'm a scientist, experiments are what I do…yes…" But as soon as Roxas summoned his keyblade, he lost the evil tone in his voice. "Uh...I mean, right. No experiments. None whatsoever. I'm not here to do experiments. I'm here to examine you two and…uh…not talk in complete sentences. Right. So shall we begin?"

Roxas eyed Vexen suspiciously. "Why so jumpy?"

"I…am not…JUMPY!" Vexen exclaimed. Then he lowered his voice. "But, if this examination fails, I will be held fully responsible…and the superior…might shut…down my lab. So, to make sure this does not fail…I must be….EXTRA…careful."

"How can examinations fail?" Xion asked, lying back down. "I know experiments can...but how can-"

"Simple," Vexen said. "I could drop a test tube on your foot or my machines could malfunction or numerous injuries could happen. And the superior…does not want his…two…star…players…hurt. So that is why! I must be careful."

"All-righty then," Roxas shrugged. "Just make this quick, we have an ice cream appointment at six."

"Okay," the scientist said, taking a deep breath. "First the superior wants me to check you with the stethoscope."

"But we don't have hearts…" Xion said, confused.

"That is what we shall find out," Vexen said, coming up behind Xion. "Now unzip your coat."

"No way!" Xion replied instantly. "Not in front of you _or_ Roxas!"

Vexen rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, since the Superior didn't give me permission to insist that, I won't." He then pressed the bell of the stethoscope against Xion's chest, much to the girl's protests.

"I demand a female doctor!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry, we don't have any, unless you want to try Namine," Vexen said, listening intently into the ear pieces.

"Ew, Namine," Xion said, making a disgusted face. She then sighed and tried to ease up.

Roxas just curiously watched from his lab table. Suddenly he placed his hand in some green goopy stain. "Hey, Vexen, did you sanitize this?"

"Shh!" Vexen hissed. "Now, Xion, take a deeeeeep breath and let it ouuuuut." As Xion complied, he listened attentively. After another moment, he took the bell of the stethoscope off Xion's chest and took the ear pieces out of his ears. "Nope, no heart," he said, shaking his head.

"Well at least Xigbar won't think I'm an imposter…" Xion muttered. "Can I go now?" She tried to sit up but Vexen protested.

"NO!" he exclaimed hastily. "You…may not go yet. Still many tests left. Yes, many tests. Just stay put while I do Roxas."

Xion sighed and lay back down. _"I know I should trust Roxas and not be worried about Namine…"_ she thought. _"But it's so hard with Xigbar inferring at things all the time. I wish he would just go away…"_ Suddenly an idea came to her. _"Hey…wait a minute! Demyx is Xigbar's friend! Maybe Demyx can somehow stop Xigbar from spying on me or bugging me! Yeah…why didn't I think of this before?"_ Her thoughts were interrupted by number IV's voice.

"All right, on to the next test," he said.

"Which is?" Roxas asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Vexen picked up his clip board. "It says here that you must describe your thoughts and so-called 'feelings' when you two make intimate contact, and I'm supposed to record them and do some research."

"Intimate contact?" Xion asked, tilting her head.

"Kiss-ing!" Vexen exclaimed.

"We're not kissing in front of you," Roxas retorted. "Go get some dusks to do your experiments."

"No no no no no! You don't understand! I'm not going to hurt you in any way!" the scientist exclaimed. "I'm just going to write down your thoughts and feelings…ON THIS NOTEPAD, I ASSURE YOU!"

Roxas and Xion just gave him a weird look.

"Why does everyone think I'm perverted?" he mumbled, flipping through his notepad.

"All right, fine," Xion agreed.

"Yeah," Roxas said. "I do owe Xion a kiss anyways."

"Splendid!" Vexen exclaimed, clapping his gloved hands together.

Roxas got off his lab table and went over to Xion who had sat up. He was about to lean in closer when he glanced off to the side at Vexen. "Are you sure this information is going to Xemnas, _not_ Xigbar?"

"Cross my non-existent heart!" Vexen replied quickly.

"All right," Roxas said, taking a deep breath. "Now, Xion, just pretend Vexen's not here, okay?"

Xion slid off the lab table and stood up. "Okay, I'll try."

Number XIII awkwardly slid his arms around Xion's waist and pulled her closer, and Xion wrapped her arms around Roxas' neck. They were about to lock lips when Vexen interrupted.

"You don't have to make the kiss long, just make sure you're able to describe it," the scientist said.

Roxas let out an irritated moan but tried to ignore the rambling scientist. _"Just keep my mind on Xion. Vexen's isn't here. Vexen can blow up for all I care. Xion – she's the only one who matters."_ The boy Nobody then closed his eyes, tightened his grip around Xion's waist, and pressed his lips to hers.

Xion's eyes also closed, and she tried to keep her mind focused on the touch and taste of his lips. But it was hard – she could see just feel Vexen's eyes on her. _"Well I guess it's better than Xigbar watching…"_ she thought. _"No, don't get distracted! Think of Roxas! Think of Roxas!"_ Roxas suddenly tilted his head to the side and breathed out through his nose, warming up her face. As she brought his face even closer to hers she found it impossible to think of anything else _but_ Roxas. He was all the she could acknowledge, and all that she _would _acknowledge. Vexen wasn't there, the cold white laboratory wasn't there either. It was just she and her Roxas, alone and together. There were no mysteries, no cares in the world. It was pure bliss.

Sadly, their rare moment had to be interrupted. "Ahem," Vexen cleared his throat. Well the two _had_ been holding each other rather tight, so he thought it was best to end it before it turned into something more ardent.

Xion and Roxas reluctantly let go of each other after a few quick pecks and then stepped back. After they finished gasping for air, they were questioned by Vexen.

"Well? Tell me exactly what you were thinking," Vexen said, not even looking up from his notebook.

"Well…" Xion began, trying to put her thought into words. "I'm pretty sure I felt feelings…"

"Yeah, me too," Roxas agreed, nodding his head.

"Okay…like what?" the Chilly Academic asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like…" Roxas began, a fond smile appearing on his face. "Like me and Xion were the only ones in the world. You weren't there…there was no laboratory…just me and Xion…without a care in the world."

"No laboratory?" Vexen asked, his voice growing urgent. "Is…is…is that a sign that the superior will shut down my lab? Oh no oh no oh no oh no…"

"Calm down, Vexen!" Xion exclaimed, almost laughing. "It's nothing like that. We could have felt the same way outdoors or in the Grey Room or even in Wonderland. It doesn't matter where we are…it's just I'm happy to be with Roxas…in his arms…"

"Hmm…" Vexen mused, scribbling down notes. "I don't quite understand…"

"Don't you ever feel happy? Like when you succeed in an experiment or something?" Roxas inquired.

"Well, yes…" Vexen began, thinking hard.

"Well that's not _exactly_ the same feeling, but it's close…ish," Xion said.

"All right, tell me more," Vexen instructed.

Both Xion and Roxas tried their hardest to explain their feelings, but some things just weren't describable. Vexen took down most things, but there were a few times where he couldn't understand the two Nobodies himself. But in the end he found the information they had given useful.

"Is that all?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah, is it?" Xion inquired. "That's all we can think of."

Vexen closed his notebook and set his pencil a side. "One more thing."

"One more thing?" Roxas asked, tilting his head. "What could it possibly be?"

"Just a couple more questions, I assure you," the scientist replied, taking out a different notebook. He then took a seat on the counter. "For instance, Xion, how would you feel if you caught Namine kissing Roxas?"

"I would first kill Namine, then myself," Xion replied coldly, looking away from everyone.

"Aww, Xion," Roxas began, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder. Then he eyed Vexen and snapped, "Don't be ridiculous, Vexen! I would NEVER let Namine kiss me! NEVER!"

"Very interesting…" number IV mused, scribbling down in his notebook. "And how would you feel, Roxas, if Xigbar kissed Xion?"

Roxas was startled by the question, and he clenched his fists. "Ohhh boy would I let Xigbar have it!"

"In other words, you're both very protective of each other," Vexen concluded, adding the final touches to his notes. "All right, you two, that's enough. You can leave."

The lab was silent after the two left. Vexen just strolled around, contemplating what he had learned. "This is so strange…" he said to himself. "How…is it possible? But I'm a scientist…if I don't come up with an answer soon, the superior…he…he…he might shut down my lab! And then I'll have to either work in a basement or in a bathtub! Oh…what to do? What to do? I…could write down these notes in a fancy essay and use words the superior has never heard of…that might work…."

Suddenly the door opened, interrupting Vexen's tale of woe. Marluxia and Namine presently entered the laboratory.

"Marluxia!" Vexen exclaimed in surprised. "_What_ are you doing here?"

"Just showing Namine around," Marluxia answered calmly, though Vexen was starting to heat up.

"No, no, no, not in _my_ lab!" Vexen protested. "This is _my_ lab, and I do NOT appreciate trespassers!"

"Vexen, we will only be here for a moment," Marluxia replied.

"No, a moment is too long!" the scientist exclaimed. "I…was in the middle…of a VERY important experiment. Now, if you would kindly leave…"

"Not until I have shown Namine around," Marluxia insisted. "What could happen?"

"Wh-what could happen?" Vexen asked in disbelief. "Remember the last time you were in here? You nearly blew up the whole lab just by showing off your hair!"

"Don't leave stray test-tubes around," number XI said, wiping the grime off one of the lab tables.

"Marluxia, I am LOSING my PATIENCE!" Vexen shouted. "This is The Castle that Never Was, so I'm higher in rank than you, therefore I say…GET OUT OF MY LAB AT ONCE!!!"

Marluxia summoned his weapon. "Yes, but I have a bigger weapon than you."

Vexen stared at the pink weapon for a moment and groaned. "Fine! Just don't…touch…A THING!"

Marluxia chuckled and proceeded in showing Namine around. As he did, he made conversation with the scientist. "So what very important experiment are you in the middle of?"

"One that has to do with the 'feelings' of Xion and Roxas," Vexen replied.

This caught Namine's attention. "Huh? What about Roxas and…Xion?" she asked.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Vexen asked. Marluxia glanced at Namine and then back at Vexen, growing nervous. "Well, they claim to be in l-" Marluxia acted fast, dropping a pair of goggles on Vexen's foot. "OWWWWWWWW!" the scientist cried, hopping on one foot.

"Oops," Marluxia said sarcastically.

"GET… OUT… NOW!!!!" number IV exploded.

Marluxia just smirked. "No, I think I'm going to stay here and annoy you for a bit longer."


	17. Tea for Two

Chapter 17 – Tea for Two

"Wow, that Vexen sure was worried about his lab," Namine laughed. She and Marluxia were drawing the tour to a close, ending with the final room – the kitchen.

"Yes, he is rather strange, isn't he?" Marluxia agreed. "All right. As you can see, this is the kitchen."

Namine looked around the room. "Wow, it's spacious," she commented.

Marluxia nodded. "Yes. I work here, and so does Larxene. Well…at least she used to. I don't know where she was this morning…"

"Well I heard Roxas say that she was eating breakfast with Axel," the girl informed.

Number XI tilted his head. "Axel? Why him?"

"Well Roxas said Larxene was Axel's girlfriend…" Namine began.

Marluxia's eyes grew wide instantly. "What?" But when he noticed Namine looked a bit scared, he tried to keep his temper down. "Roxas must be mistaken…if Larxene rejects me, why would she be caught with the likes of him? No, Roxas is just crazy."

Before Namine could make a remark, the kitchen door opened and Xigbar stepped in. "Marly, I have a favor to ask…" he began, a mischievous grin on his face.

"What is it?" Marluxia asked, ignoring the annoying nickname.

"Make some tea for the lovely Poppet and kiddo…" Xigbar replied, smirking.

Namine looked up at him questionably. "Poppet? Kiddo?" the girl asked.

"Nicknames for Xion and Roxas," Marluxia explained, rolling his eyes. "And why, Xigbar, do you think I would make them tea?"

"Because I'm number II," Xigbar replied simply, shrugging. "And if you do, I won't show the world _this_!" He produced a photo from his pocket. It was a photo of Marluxia dying his hair.

"What?" Marluxia exclaimed. "Where did you get this?"

"Simple snooping," he replied, winking. "I'll get rid of all the evidence it you make the tea…"

"Fine, I'll make the tea," Marluxia agreed reluctantly. "Come, Namine, I'll teach you how to make some."

"Oh, goody!" Namine exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe I can make Roxas some!"

"_Heh, heh," _Xigbar thought. _"This has got to be my best plan yet…"_

_

* * *

_

"So you kissed in front of Vexen, eh?" Axel asked. He, Roxas, and Xion were lounging on the couches of one of the castle's living rooms. Twilight Town hadn't been having good weather recently, so they just stayed in.

"Yup," Roxas replied. He and Xion were sitting on the couch facing each other, and he was playing with the girl's hands.

"Was it weird?" the Flurry of Dancing Flames inquired.

"No, but Vexen was," Xion replied, suppressing a giggle as Roxas lightly kissed the palm of her hand.

"Xion, your skin is so soft," Roxas commented in amazement.

Axel shifted on the couch uncomfortably. "Hey, you two, do you want me to leave?"

Xion looked back at number VIII. "Why would you think that?" she asked.

Axel suddenly shook his head and tucked his legs in underneath him. "No, never mind, I'm staying. I've got to make sure to two don't make out or anything."

Roxas tilted his head. "Make out? What does that mean?"

Zexion happened to be walking by at the time and he was eager to share his knowledge. "As the Merriam-Webster dictionary quotes, 'to engage in amorous kissing and caressing.'"

Xion looked up at Zexion. "Amorous? Caressing? What does that mean?" she asked.

"Well, amorous means 'inclined to-" Zexion began, but was interrupted by Axel.

"Leave now, Zexion, or I will quote Demyx's 'Zexion' poem AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!" Axel exclaimed, raising his voice.

Without another word, Zexion skedaddled.

Roxas and Xion stared at Axel, expecting him to explain it. "It's nothing, guys," Axel shrugged. "Better for you not to know."

"Hey, Axel!" came a voice. The three turned their heads to see Larxene walk up to them.

"Hey, Larx!" Axel greeted, reaching up and touching her arm. "Have a seat."

"Okay," Larxene replied. She then seated herself on Axel's lap, causing Roxas and Xion to stare. "How's my fire-fire baby?" She began to trail soft kisses down his cheek.

"Larxene, no," Axel whispered. "We don't want to give them any ideas."

Larxene glanced over to see that Roxas and Xion's wide eyes were on her and her Axel. "Can I see you out in the hall, Axel?" she asked after a moment of contemplation.

"All right," number VIII agreed. "Be right back, guys."

After the two had left, Roxas scooted a bit closer to Xion. "They act strange, don't you think?"

"Yup," Xion agreed. "They sure do. Is…that how people in love are supposed to act?"

Roxas shrugged. "Dunno…" He then looked gazed into her eyes. "Xion…I don't think I've told this before…but you're really beautiful…"

Xion felt her face heat up, and she looked down at her lap nervously. "So are you," she said quietly.

Roxas let out a laugh. "You're so funny, Xion," he sighed happily, pulling her into an embrace. "My best friend…"

Xion closed her eyes contently and gently squeezed him. "Roxas…"

Their tranquil moment was interrupted, however, when Namine arrived. "Oh, hey Roxas!" the girl in white exclaimed. Roxas and Xion quickly separated when they heard her voice.

"Oh…hi, Namine," Roxas replied, forcing a smile. He wondered if Namine had seen him hugging Xion.

"Oh, and hello to you too, Xion," Namine said, remembering number XIV. "Do you mind if I join you two?"

Roxas and Xion exchanged apprehensive glances but agreed it was the polite thing to do. "All right, I guess," number XIII sighed.

Namine took a seat next to Roxas, causing the boy to scoot a couple inches away from her and towards Xion. But Namine was too thrilled to care. "So, Marluxia showed me around. Looks like a fun castle."

"Oh, it is," Xion agreed, nodding hastily.

"It's so neat that your gym has a pool," the girl in white added.

"It does?" Roxas asked. This was news to him.

Namine titled her head. "You mean you've been living here and you haven't even known there was a swimming pool?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope."

"No, me neither," Xion added. "I don't even think I know how to swim…"

"I think I do," Roxas said. "Even though I don't think I ever have…strange."

"So how is Marluxia treating you?" Xion asked Namine, trying to make conversation.

"Fine," Namine replied. "Though he can be a bit boring sometimes…and that Demyx guy can be a bit too hyper for his own good…"

Roxas laughed. "Yeah, that's Demyx all right. He and Axel used to play pranks on people."

There was a moment of silence before Namine spoke. "Hey, guys…I have a question…" she began.

Xion looked nervous but ventured out and asked, "Yeah?"

"Well…" Namine began. "Demyx mentioned that there was a meeting yesterday that had to do with you two…can you tell me about it?"

Roxas took a deep breath, somewhat startled by the question. "Well…" But he was interrupted by the entrance of Xigbar.

"Oh, hey, I see you two are keeping the guest company!" Xigbar commented, walking over to them. In his hands was a tray with two tea cups. "That's very nice…"

"What do _you_ want, Xigbar?" Roxas asked, narrowing his eyes. "Don't you have some wild stag party to be at or something?"

"As if," Xigbar replied. "I just came here to deliver this tea Marluxia made you."

"Oh, right, the tea!" Namine exclaimed, standing up. "While Marluxia was making that, he taught me how to make some too. Unfortunately someone drank it…I was planning to give it to you, Roxas." She flashed the boy a sweet smile.

Xigbar smirked. "Yes, that is a shame. But it's lucky Marluxia had made some for Roxas as well, along with you, Poppet." He winked at number XIV as he set down the tray on the coffee table. "Well, drink up!"

Xion leaned forward and picked a tea cup off the tray, as did Roxas. "It smells good," she commented, taking a whiff. "…But I just had some ice cream, so I'm not really thirsty. Thanks anyways." She set the tea cup back on the tray.

"Yeah, me neither," Roxas said, putting down his cup as well.

Xigbar's eyes widened. "But…but you have to drink it, sillies! Tea is very healthy, especially Marluxia's herbal kind."

"I like soda better," Roxas replied grinning. Xion let out a laugh. "Let Marluxia stick to the diets."

"Listen you two," said Xigbar, pointing at them.

"He's pointing," Roxas whispered to Xion. "Demyx is starting to rub off on him…"

"Listen!" Xigbar commanded, raising his voice. "Marluxia slaved and toiled away to make you that tea, and you say no? That's gratitude…Well, I'll leave you two to fight off your consciences. Later." With that, he disappeared.

"It's nice I guess that Marluxia made us tea…" Roxas began. "But I'm not going to drink it."

* * *

The next morning, Roxas and Xion arrived in the Grey Room to see the Organization members whispering amongst themselves. Axel noticed them and came up to them.

"Hey you two," the Flurry of Dancing Flames greeted. "Have you heard the news?"

"What news?" Xion asked curiously.

"Both the superior and Saix have fallen ill," Axel informed.

"Wait, what?" Roxas asked in disbelief. "Both at the same time? Who will give us our missions?"

"No need to worry about that," Axel replied. "They've given us the day off."

Roxas and Xion exchanged confused glances. "What exactly is wrong with them?" number XIV inquired.

"Stomach problems," Axel answered. "Happened some time yesterday evening. Strange, isn't it?"

"It sure is…" Roxas mused. "So…another day off?"

"Yup," number VIII nodded. "What do you want to do?"

The two thought hard and for some time, until Xion remembered something. "Hey, what about that indoor pool? Couldn't we swim?"

"Hey, yeah!" Roxas agreed.

A smile appeared on Axel's face. "No, I've got a better idea," he said. "Let's go to the beach and swim…"

"The beach?" Xion and Roxas asked in unison.

"Yup," the redhead replied. "Destiny Islands."


	18. The Sound of the Surf

Chapter 18 – The Sound of the Surf

"Hurry up, slow pokes!" Axel yelled teasingly, running ahead.

The redhead and his two friends Roxas and Xion were walking across the sand of Destiny Islands, searching for a place to set down their gear. Axel was making the two younger Nobodies carry all the gear, claiming it was good for their souls. So they lagged behind carrying a picnic basket, three towels, and a bag of other things like sunscreen and water toys. The hot sand stung their bare feet and made it difficult to walk. They also felt exceedingly hot in the black coats they wore over their swim clothes.

"Hey, guys!" Axel called back. "I found the perfect spot!" He flopped down underneath the shade of a leaning palm tree and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Phew, that was exhausting. I've got to learn to pack lighter."

"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked, setting the picnic basket down. "Me and Xion are the ones doing all the lugging. You weren't carrying a thing!"

"Yes I was!" Axel retorted. "My hair gets very heavy in the sun!"

Xion rolled her eyes as she spread out the towel. "Axel, you're just lazy."

"Whatever," Axel said, leaning his back against the palm tree. He then removed his black coat, revealing a bare chest and red swim trunks.

Xion leaned closer to Roxas. "You know, lots of fan girls would be having a nose bleed right now…" she whispered. "But I think I'm going to puke!"

"What was that?" Axel asked, looking up at the two.

"Oh, nothing…" Xion replied.

"So you going to take off your black coats?" the Flurry of Dancing Flames asked.

"I guess…" Roxas replied nervously. He unzipped his jacket and removed it, placing it on the palm tree. His outfit was similar to Axel's except he was wearing blue trunks, not red.

"You feel like puking now, Xion?" Axel asked number XIV with a wink. Both Xion's and Roxas' faces turned red.

"Maybe I should wear my coat…" Roxas began nervously, reaching for his jacket.

"Aw, c'mon, Roxas, this is what all guys wear swimming. You do want to swim, right?" number VIII asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah…" the boy replied, slowly relinquishing his coat. "Okay…"

"Well, Xion?" Axel asked, looking up at the girl.

"I'd rather keep my jacket on…" Xion replied nervously.

"Did Larxene not find an old bathing suit that fits you?" the redhead inquired.

Xion stepped back a bit. "Well yeah, but…I don't like it…"

Axel let out a laugh. "Oh, you're not used to bikinis, eh? Well c'mon, we won't laugh. Right Roxas?"

"Of course I won't laugh," Roxas said, stepping a bit closer to Xion. "I would never make fun of you, Xi-Xi."

Xion glanced from Roxas to Axel and back to herself, trying to make up her mind. "Well I do want to learn how to swim…" she began, taking a deep breath. "So I guess I'll have to…" She slowly removed her jacket, revealing a semi-modest red bikini.

Roxas couldn't help but stare. He tried to take his eyes off of her but found it very difficult. _"Why am I even staring?" _the boy Nobody thought, puzzled.

Axel noticed Roxas' expression and chuckled. "Roxas, are you having a nose bleed?" he teased.

Xion quickly reached for her coat, but Roxas stopped her. "No, you look fine. Ignore this clown," he said with a smile.

Xion slowly relinquished her jacket and sighed. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yup," number XIII reassured her, giving her a thumbs-up. The two locked eyes suddenly and couldn't look away. They were both thinking of how lucky they were to have each other.

"Well, now that we've all got acquainted with each other's attire, how's about we hit those waves?" Axel suggested, standing up. That ruined the moment.

"Hit the waves?" Roxas asked, confused. "How do you do that?"

The Flurry of Dancing Flames chuckled. "No, Roxas, that's just an expression. You're such a zombie!" He hit Roxas playfully on the back, causing the boy to lurch forward, almost falling over.

"Hey! Don't hit Roxas!" Xion protested though she was laughing.

"What'cha gonna do about it, shrimpet?" Axel teased, sticking his tongue out.

Roxas bent down and picked up a handful of sand. "Hey, don't call Xion names unless you want your swim trunks full of sand!" he threatened with a grin.

Axel made a face. "Ooh, that wouldn't be comfortable. Nah, I think I'll pass. C'mon, let's head to the water." He started for the ocean, his red hair gleaming in the sunlight.

Roxas looked from his handful of sand to Axel and back with a mischievous grin. "Should I?" he asked Xion.

Xion giggled. "I don't know, he might catch you on fire or something."

He shrugged. "Nah, he's not Larxene…" Number XIII started to walk silently after Axel, but number VIII suddenly turned around.

"If you do, I'll tell Larxene!" Axel warned, pointing at the boy.

Roxas stopped dead in his tracks, letting the sand slide through his fingers. "Darnit," he said, defeated. Then he turned back to see if Xion was coming. He saw her reaching for a towel. "C'mon, Xion! No need to be nervous!"

Xion let out a sigh and dropped the towel. "Okay!" She then caught up with Roxas and Axel. As they walked toward the beach, the sand became finer and finer, easing their bare feet. Soon the sand grew cool and they arrived at their destination – the water's edge. All three of them stared out into the never-ending sea, breathing in the salty wet air. The two younger Nobodies found the roaring waves quite fascinating.

"Those waves sure are big…" Roxas said in awe.

Axel pealed his eyes off the horizon and turned to Roxas. "Well let's be thankful Demyx isn't here to make them dance."

Roxas looked at the large waves and imagined them growing larger and larger and larger. "Yeah," he agreed with a shudder. He turned to see that Xion was standing in the wet sand with her eyes closed, letting the cool ocean breathe blow through her hair. _"Wow, she's really enjoying it," _he thought. "Hey, Xion?"

Xion's eyes opened and she turned her attention to Roxas. "Huh?"

A gentle grin appeared on Roxas' face. "Want me to teach you how to swim?"

Xion looked over to see that Axel had already gone deeper into the water. The Flurry of Dancing Flames was trying to float on his back, but the waves had other plans. She then looked back at Roxas. "I don't know…it looks dangerous."

Roxas took Xion's hand in his and held it tightly. "Don't worry, I'll be holding on to you," he assured her, gazing into her deep blue eyes. "Now what do you say?"

"Well…" the girl began. "If you promise to hold onto me…"

Roxas' smile widened. "Of course I will, Xi-Xi," he replied cheerfully.

After some more consideration, Xion made up her mind. "Okay, I trust you." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Roxas felt his face turn red again so he turned and faced the water, scanning the area for Axel. Number VIII's head was seen bobbing up and down in the water, but surprisingly his hairstyle was untouched. "Must be some really firm gel he uses," Roxas muttered with a chuckle. Then he turned back to Xion. "So I think first you should just watch how my arms and legs move while I swim, all right?"

"Okay," Xion agreed, stepping back a bit. She watched Roxas intently as he waded deeper into the water until it was up to his waist. He then assumed a vertical position, holding his head up above the water, and started to kick his arms and legs.

* * *

"It's a wonderful day outside; the birds are singing, the sun is shining…and we're stuck in here playing chess," Demyx complained. He, Xigbar, and Vexen were sitting in rec. room over a chess board and a couple of cherry sodas.

"Shh," Xigbar hissed, eyeing the chess pieces. "It's my move."

"And since when do you play with Vexen?" number IX asked dully, resting his head in his hands.

"Since Luxord and Xaldin are busy doing other things," Xigbar replied, moving his chess piece.

Demyx leaned back in his chair. "I wish I was busy doing other things. Why do I even hang out with you guys?"

"Because your old prankster partner is now friends with Roxas, Xion, and Larxene," number II replied bluntly, still not looking up from his game.

"Yes," Vexen agreed. "Now…please…be….QUIET!"

"Vexen's a spaz," Demyx muttered, folding his arms across his chest. He then began to mimic them in disgust. "You can't play the sitar, Demyx, you'll interrupt our game. You can't run down the halls loudly, Demyx, you'll interrupt the superior's bubble bath. You can't jump off a seven story building Demyx, you'll-"

"We never said you couldn't do that," Xigbar interrupted.

"We would actually be very grateful if you did," Vexen added.

"Poo," Demyx grumbled. "So…I don't get why the superior and Saix are both sick at the same time."

"Probably some loser epidemic," Xigbar said with a smirk.

Vexen looked up from the chess game and eyed Xigbar suspiciously. "You sound like you know something we don't…"

Xigbar sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It was meant for Poppet and kiddo, but this is a blessing in disguise."

"What do you mean?" Vexen inquired curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Xigbar shrugged. "My plan failed, but at least we get another day off. I'll think up something else."

* * *

Zexion sat in a comfy chair in one of the more secluded living rooms of the castle, intently reading a book entitled _The Story of the Constitution. _He let out a content sigh as he turned the next page. This was how he liked to spend his days off.

The door opened slowly, revealing the girl in white – Namine. "Um…Zexion…" she began slowly.

Zexion let out a groan and put a bookmark in his book. He then set it aside asking, "What is it?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you know where Roxas is," Namine said, stepping a bit closer.

Zexion opened up his book again. "He went to Destiny Islands with Axel and Xion," he replied, eyes fixed on the dull words of his book.

Namine let out a sigh. "Zexion, do you know why he always hangs out with that girl?" she asked.

"I would assume it's because they're friends," Zexion replied bluntly, not looking up.

The girl in white sighed again. Realizing Zexion did not want to be bothered, she left the room. "I wonder where Marluxia went…" she said to herself.

**Author's Note: Wow this is only my second author's note for this whole story. I don't write them because I doubt anyone would wanna read them. So why am I writing one now? To say THANKS! You guys are so awesome! This is my most reviewed story I have ever written (if you've noticed that the most my Zelda stories ever got was like 15 reviews) and it's also my longest. I've never written 18 chapters before so this is exciting! :D Thanks again!**


	19. Love in the Ocean

Chapter 19 – Love in the Ocean

Marluxia walked down the halls of The Castle that Never Was, heading towards the superior's office. Xemnas had requested to see him via Xaldin, and number XI was curious as to what he was needed for. He figured it had something to do with Namine. Arriving at number I's office, he opened the door slowly and stuck his head in. "You wanted to see me, superior?"

Xemnas was seated at his desk, a red and green quilt wrapped around him. He held a hot water bottle to his stomach and his dark skin was surprisingly pale. "Yes, Marluxia, I wanted to see you," he managed to say.

Marluxia's nose crinkled at the superior's condition. He had never seen Xemnas so sick before. And he could just imagine Saix. He prayed that it wasn't number XII's time of month.

"Saix and I started to feel ill after we had some tea yesterday evening…" Xemnas began, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Tea we found in one of the living rooms. I was wondering if you know anything about that…"

Marluxia thought back to yesterday evening. "Yes, sir, I made the tea. Xigbar ordered me to make it for Xion and Roxas, but apparently they didn't drink it," he explained.

Xemnas looked down at his desk, trying to remain calm. "I know accidents happen, number XI…BUT WHAT IN OBLIVION DID YOU PUT IN THAT TEA?"

The superior's voice made Marluxia cringe. "I-I don't know, sir," he stuttered. "I made the tea with what I usually use…orange peel, rosehips, sugar, sugar, sugar, hawthorn, chamomile, natural peach flavor with other nature flavors, blackberry leaves, hibiscus, peaches, citric acid and paprika. Nothing out of the ordinary…"

"Well, number XI, if you don't want to be in charge of Namine, then say so instead of poisoning us!" Xemnas exclaimed. He then clenched his stomach.

"I didn't mean to poison you, sir!" Marluxia responded. "It must have been something that had gotten into the tea…"

"As punishment for this careless mishap," Xemnas began. "I'm putting you on laundry detail this week."

"But sir!" Marluxia objected. "I have to look after Namine!"

"She can be left alone for one hour," Xemnas stated. "Where is she now? Not with you. Yes, laundry detail will be fine. Tomorrow…hopefully I'll be better…no, I _will_ be better. Those lack-wits can't have another day off. Well, Marluxia that is all. I'll be seeing you in the laundry room tonight."

Marluxia groaned as he left, feeling a bit upset in the stomach as well. _"Whoever has framed me will pay,"_ he thought. He started down the hall but suddenly stopped, realizing something. He had no place to go. "I should go find Namine," he thought out loud. "But this is my vacation too. Now, who can I hang out with…Xemnas? DEFFINATELY NOT! Xigbar? Playing chess. Xaldin? Boring. Vexen? Playing chess. Lexaeus? Oh, talk about boring. Zexion? Nerd. Saix? Sick. Axel? At the beach. Demyx? Playing chess. Luxord? Boring. Marluxia? That's me. Larxene…AH HA! Yes! I'll go hang out with Larxy!" He exclaimed, quite proud of his brainstorm. He then headed to Larxene's room.

* * *

Larxene sat at her desk in her room, gazing wistfully at a picture of Axel. "Should I have accepted their invitation to the beach?" she asked herself. "They were always the trio, I wouldn't want to intrude…Four is a crowd. But would Axel have more or less fun if I had tagged along?" Suddenly she remembered another matter – what would happen if the organization found out about her and Axel's relationship? Xion and Roxas had been in some pretty hot water, but they were excused because they were immature. But Larxene had no excuse. She rubbed her sore temples and sighed. "Being a Nobody is hard…" Suddenly a light rap on the door shook her out of her thoughts. "Axel?" she guessed excitedly. "No…the knock was too dainty." She got up and opened the door, just to find Marluxia standing there.

"Hello, Larxene," Marluxia greeted with a grin. Larxene was about to slam the door in his face but he caught it with his boot. "Now, Larx, that isn't any way to greet a man, is it?"

"You're a man?" Larxene asked with a humorless laugh. "I haven't noticed."

"Larxene, let me come in," Marluxia said, stepping a bit closer.

"You're kidding right?" the Savage Nymph asked, standing her post.

"I'll only be but a minute," Marluxia assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Larxene quickly backed away from his touch, but that allowed him to enter. "So how are you?"

"Fine…" Larxene replied coldly, glaring at him. "What are you doing here? Just come to waste my time? I'm a busy girl you know."

Marluxia shook his head. "No, I'm here to ask a question," he told her calmly.

"No, I'm not going to fix the electricity in your bathroom," number XII said. "I know that trick."

"No," Marluxia said, stepping a bit closer. Larxene backed away, wondering when she should take out her throwing knives. "My question is why you were eating breakfast with Axel yesterday."

Larxene raised an eyebrow. "So I was eating breakfast with him? So? This is none of your business! Please, leave my-"

"Larxene," number XI interrupted in a loud but gentle voice. "Why are you suddenly hanging out with him so much?"

"He's my friend," Larxene answered, trying not to meet his gaze. "Is that a crime?"

"It is in my rule book," he answered coldly, taking another step forward. "My little lightning bug, why don't you ever spend time with me?" He suddenly seized her wrists. "Number XI and number XII. We would make such a nice couple, even better than number XIII and XIV."

Larxene gasped, trying to back away. "Let go _now_, mister, unless you want to be fried!"

"Why Larxene?" Marluxia asked, sadness in his eyes. "Why don't you want me?"

Larxene made a face. "Why would I want you? You have PINK hair! You're stuck up! And you're a perv!"

"Am not," Marluxia insisted, stepping even closer.

"Out, Marluxia!" Larxene exclaimed. She suddenly produced an electrical current which flowed from her hands to his body, causing him to release her in pain.

"Please?" Marluxia asked desperately, rubbing his sore hands.

"Oh, go kiss a spork!" Larxene fumed. She then summoned her knives and glared furiously at Marluxia.

Marluxia realized it was probably best to leave. "Fine, but I will be back!" he yelled as he left the room.

"If you do you'll be sorry!" number XII retorted, slamming her door. She then let out a sigh and flopped down on her bed. "Axel, return soon."

* * *

Roxas had held onto Xion firmly as the girl took her first strokes, guiding her along in the water. Soon though she was ready to try on her own, and did exceptionally well. But as Xion swam by herself through the water, dodging the waves, she secretly wished Roxas was still holding onto her. As she got tired, she decided to just stand up and walk across the ocean floor. Suddenly she stepped on something spiky and she let out a yelp. Roxas was immediately at her side.

"What's wrong, Xion?" he asked, concerned.

"I stepped on something," the girl replied.

Roxas chuckled. "What are you doing walking anyways? We're supposed to swim."

What Roxas said made Xion feel stupid and her face turned a red shade. "Well, I heard that there are some pretty sea shells here and I was looking around for them," she explained.

Roxas looked down at the water and then back up at Xion. "Well I don't want you to hurt your feet so…hop on my back." He shot her a playful grin.

"Your back?" Xion asked, surprised. "Are you sure I won't hurt you?"

"Of course not," Roxas replied. "You're not that heavy."

"Well if you say so…" she responded, glancing nervously over at his bare back. She slowly made her way behind him, put her hands on his shoulders, and hopped up on his back. He grabbed her legs to hold her steady as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Is this all right?" she asked.

Roxas' lips curved into a relaxed grin. "Yeah, this is fine…"

Xion let out a giggled and kissed the side of his neck. "Roxy, what hair gel do you and Axel use? Your hair is wet yet it's still spiky…"

"What are you talking about?" number XIII asked, heaving her up higher on his back. "Our hair is naturally spiky."

With a laugh, she remarked, "As if."

Roxas crinkled his nose. "Ew, you sound like Xigbar," he said with a laugh. He then started to walk around in the water, searching for any glint under the water surface.

"Roxas, why is that man trying to break us up?" Xion asked, her voice losing its once happy tone.

The boy let out a sigh. "I don't know, Xion. But there's only one way to handle him. We have to show him that all his attempts to break us up only strengthen our relationship, right?"

A soft smile appeared on Xion's face. "Right," she agreed. She then tightened her grin on him and rested her head on top of his. "Nobodies can love. _We_ can love. And our love will never die."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Roxas said. Suddenly a gleam of color caught his eye. "Hey, I think I see something." He bent down, careful not to drop Xion, and submerged his head under the water. A couple seconds later he came back out, holding a beautiful pink shell. He handed up to Xion. "Here, Xion, for you."

Xion gazed at the dazzling pink shell in awe. "Wow, Roxas, I've never seen something so beautiful before…"

Suddenly without warning, Roxas reached his arms up and took Xion off his back and held her in front of him in his arms. "I have," he said with a bright smile. "You."

Number XIV felt her face turn red again, and she tried to hide it by burying her face against his chest. Suddenly she thought of something, hoping to make the moment less awkward. "Hey, Roxas, are you ticklish?"

"I don't know," Roxas replied. "But if you try to find out, I'll find out if you're ticklish."

"Darnit," the girl Nobody said.

Roxas then helped her stand up in front of him, gazing into her eyes. "Do you see Axel anywhere?" he asked her.

Xion looked around, scanning the area for any signs of the pyro. "Nope," she replied.

"Good," Roxas said with a smile. "Come here." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "And this time, no Vexen."

Gazing into Roxas' sapphire eyes, Xion wrapped her arms around his body, slightly tickling him to test her theory. The boy let out a little squeak which made her giggle. "You are ticklish, aren't you?" she asked, running her fingers through his wet hair.

"Yeah," Roxas answered quietly, gently touching the side of her face. "But don't tell." He brought his face closer, gazing into Xion's eyes until he was so close to her that he had to shut them. Closer and closer their faces moved together…

"You know what I want to give Demyx for his birthday? Defenestration," Axel said suddenly, immerging from the water. Surprised, Roxas and Xion quickly separated, only allowing their lips to brush against each other for a second. "Oh, was I interrupting something?"

"You sure were," Roxas said, glaring at Axel. "And I bet you meant to do that."

"I might have," Axel replied, looking skyward. Suddenly the breeze picked up, causing to wet Nobodies to be chilled. "Well, let's get out of the water for now," the Flurry of Dancing Flames suggested. "We can have lunch now."


	20. Divulge

Chapter 20 – Divulge

Backs resting against a leaning palm tree, Roxas, Xion, and Axel sat in the sand. Before them lay a picnic blanket, stretched out and covered with food. Their picnic lunch consisted of many bacon and cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, root beer, and sea salt ice cream. The long palm leaves above them provided nice cooling shade. They kept their usual clock tower seating order – Axel, Roxas, Xion. It was quite peaceful; just the three best friends, none of the other members.

"So you taught Xion to swim, eh Roxas?" Axel asked, taking his soda can away from his lips.

Roxas rested his hand on Xion's hand as he replied, "Yup."

"He sure did," Xion answered with a smile. "Swimming is so much fun…it's like flying through water." She tilted her head back and gazed at the blue sky. "Which reminds me, I still haven't gotten to fly in Neverland."

Roxas gave her hand a light squeeze. "Don't worry, next time we go you'll get to fly, I promise you."

Xion grinned. "Have a cookie, Roxas." She reached over, took a cookie off the plate, and handed it to him.

Number XIII took it but then suddenly had an idea. "We'll share it," he suggested. He put one end of the treat in his mouth and then leaned closer to Xion.

Xion let out a giggle because, frankly, Roxas looked a little ridiculous. But she complied and took the other end of the cookie in her mouth. As soon as she did, their eyes locked and held each other's gaze. Roxas moved his face a bit closer, rubbing his nose against hers. She let out a content sigh, forgetting all about the cookie in between them.

"Well eat it already!" Axel exclaimed, interrupting their moment.

Roxas let out a groan and bit his part of the cookie, separating Xion and him. He leaned his back against the palm tree again, facing straight ahead. "Axel, why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" number VIII asked, looking over at Roxas.

"Interrupt me and Xion," the boy replied, folding his arms across his bare chest.

"'Cause it's fun," Axel replied simply, leaning back.

Roxas just groaned and shook his head. "Why didn't you invite Larxene here to keep you busy?"

"I did," he answered, looking out into the ocean. "But she didn't want to intrude. She said 'two is company, three's a crowd, and four is dumb, stupid, and ridiculous.'"

"Well she was right about three being a crowd," Xion muttered, taking a bite into her bacon and cheese sandwich.

"Yeah, Xion, why don't you leave?" Axel teased, sticking his tongue out. He laughed as he observed the couple's reaction. Roxas scooted closer to Xion and wrapped an arm around her, and Xion just scowled. "Just kidding."

"You better be," Roxas said.

Axel chuckled and then changed the subject. "So why does Xigbar bug you about Namine anyways? Just because of your others? It seems a little farfetched. Namine doesn't even seem to like you."

Roxas shrugged. "I don't know, she's always trying to hang out with me…"

"Yeah," Xion grumbled. "Why is everyone trying to break us up?"

Axel took a bite of his cookie. "Maybe because you're the first Nobody couple in history."

"Speaking about Nobody couples…" Roxas began. "What about you and Larxene? Why aren't you guys in trouble?"

"Because unlike you, we keep it secret," Axel replied.

"Well hey it's not our fault!" Xion protested. "It's that sneak Xigbar's! I wish there was some way we could get even…"

"Tomorrow," Roxas suggested. "Tomorrow we can get even."

Xion looked over at number XIII curiously. "How?"

"I don't know yet…" he replied. "But Axel will help."

"I will?" Axel asked, surprised that Roxas had volunteered him without his consent.

"Of course you will, because you're our friend," Roxas told number VIII, beaming. "Maybe we can get Demyx's help too…he's a good prankster."

Xion let out a sigh, absentmindedly stroking her sandwich bread. "This is only day two. Five more days of Namine…"

Roxas turned to look at Xion. "Xi-Xi, do you think we should tell Namine about our relationship? She's bound to find out sometime…maybe she'll give up."

Xion shook her head. "Xigbar told me she has powers. If she got angry at me she could wipe me out of your memory. We can't let her know."

Axel put his hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Yeah, just keep it secret for five more days. Then you'll never see Namine again and you'll be off the hook."

Roxas shrugged. "I guess."

There then was a period of silence. The only thing that was heard was the sound of the waves and the seagulls soaring above (and also the period crunch of someone's cookie). Xion was wondering if anyone else lived on the island, it being so peaceful and all.

* * *

Somewhere in the distance, a girl named Kairi was walking to her mail box. She was expecting some news about her friend Sora, but so far she had received nothing. "Sora…where are you?" she asked wistfully as she pulled her hand out of yet another empty mail box. She was about to turn back when something caught her eye. "More people on the beach?" She stepped a bit closer so she could observe them but be hidden from view. "That girl looks sort of like me…" she muttered to herself. "I wonder what they're doing here…"

* * *

After the three had finished their lunch, they decided to fool around in the sand for a bit. So they cleared off the picnic supplies, kneeled on the ground, and got digging.

"So what are we going to make?" Roxas asked, forming a small mound of sand. "A sand castle?"

"Dunno," Axel said, turning around on his hands and knees so he wasn't facing his friends. "I'm making some sand chakrams over here. You go do your own thing."

Roxas looked up at Xion. "Xion, what are you making?"

Xion thought for a while before replying, "I don't know…what should I make?"

"Well we could make a sand castle," Roxas said, rubbing his chin. "Or…I know! Burry me!"

Xion titled her head. "Burry you? Like all the way?"

Roxas chuckled. "No, not all the way. Just everything but my head. C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Xion grinned. "Okay!"

As Roxas lay down in the sand in preparation for being buried, Axel turned around and said, "Don't get fresh, Roxas, 'cause I'm watching you."

"What does fresh mean?" Roxas asked, confused. Xion too looked at Axel with a perplexed expression.

Axel let out a groan. "I forget you know nothing. Well, never mind." He then turned back and continued to work on his sand creation.

Xion and Roxas chatted quietly as they worked. Number XIV enjoyed stacking up handfuls of sand on top of her best friend, even though he was complaining that it was getting into his trunks. As she piled the sand on top of his mid section, it would usually slip off like sand has a tendency of doing, thus tickling him. Then the boy would squirm and Xion would playfully slap him, telling him to sit still. After some uncountable amount of time, Roxas was buried down from his neck down to his toes.

"How does it feel in there?" Xion asked.

"Warm," Roxas replied with a content smile. "How funny do I look?"

"Very," Xion replied with a giggle. "I wish I had a camera…but Xigbar is the only one in the Organization who has one."

Roxas' eyes narrowed at that name. "Yeah, and I'd never ask him…you never know when he's spying on you."

Xion nodded. "Totally. And how does he walk up-side-down? I don't get it…"

"He's weird like that," number XIII responded. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "Hey, I was thinking about that Genie in Agrabah…"

Xion turned her attention away from the little sand pile she was forming and listened to Roxas. "Yeah?"

"Well he acts like he's done me a favor," Roxas continued. "Maybe he did, but I don't remember anything..."

"Why don't we just ask him next time we're in Agrabah?" Xion suggested. "It can't hurt…"

"Yeah," Roxas agreed with a stiff nod. "We should do that."

At that moment, Axel stood up. "Gah, this sand is so hard to work with!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to fetch some water from the ocean. Be right back." With that, he picked up a pail and headed towards the sea.

"I wonder how he's going to manage those chakrams," Xion mused, glancing over at Axel's unfinished project. "Anyways, should I unbury you now, Roxas?"

Roxas shook his head. "Nah, I like it in here," he laughed.

Xion giggled. "All right, suit yourself." After scanning the scenery for a while, she decided to lie right next to her buried Roxas and rest. She found the warm sand comfortable, for she wasn't used to wearing so little clothing and the ocean breeze chilled her. Roxas watched her curiously as she curled up beside him. "Roxy, I love you," she murmured, stroking the side of his face.

Roxas let out a relaxed sigh and closed his eyes, trying his hardest not to move. He really wanted to take Xion in his arms, but he knew that the girl had worked hard on the sand pile and he didn't want to ruin it. "I love you too," he replied softly, gazing into her eyes. "Hey…Axel's not here…so do you want to…?"

A wide grin spread across number XIV's face. "Sure," she replied. "I'd love to." She brought her face closer his, trying not to mess up his sand pile.

Roxas puckered up his lips and got ready for the desirable contact, thinking about all the missions he had with Xion in the past. Suddenly a familiar voice came into his head saying, "that's gratitude." He wondered again what the Genie had meant by that, but tried to not let it distract him. The Flurry of Dancing Flames had finally left his post, and it was time to take advantage of it. Just as their lips were merely millimeters apart, a cold rush of water came pouring down on top of their heads. With a shriek, they quickly separated, messing up Roxas' sand pile in the process.

"Not on my watch," came a voice. The two looked up to see Axel standing there, an empty bucket in his hand.

Roxas immediately got up from the sand, clenching his fists. "Axel, why do you _always_ have to interrupt me and Xion? Why can't we kiss?"

"'Cause I'm around," Axel replied simply. He walked back over to his project and took a seat in the sand.

Roxas sighed and retook his seat, running his fingers through his wet hair. "Sorry about that, Xion," he apologized. "Maybe some other time."

Xion looked down at the ground and started to absentmindedly draw in the sand with her finger. "All right."

As Axel worked on his chakrams sculpture, Xion and Roxas had their sea salt ice cream. As they enjoyed their salty-sweet treat, they conversed about how they figured Xemnas and Saix got sick. They couldn't talk about any mushy stuff unless they wanted to get waterlogged again. At times it seemed like Axel wasn't paying attention, but as soon as Roxas started to wrap his arm around Xion, the Flurry of Dancing Flames would fling sand at him.

After about an hour more in the hot sun, Axel had completed his sand chakrams. They looked impressively real as they lay horizontal on the ground. "Well, guys what do you think?" he asked the two.

"They look amazing, Axel," Xion said in awe, walking up for a closer look.

Roxas also stepped closer. "They look so real," he observed. "Like I could reach out and grab them…"

"Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Axel said quickly. But not quick enough. Roxas had ignored him and grabbed the sand fixture anyway…just to find out it was imitation. He found himself pulling Axel's chakrams out of the sand. "Umm…" Axel began nervously.

Roxas held the chakrams up for Xion to see. "Axel you fraud!" he exclaimed, though he was laughing. "It took you hours just to burry this?"

"Well you see…" Axel began. "I knew that since the waves aren't big any more so we can't go surfing. That would mean we would just have to go back to the castle. And then you two would find some dark corner to kiss in and Xigbar might find out or something…"

"Are you believing him?" Roxas asked Xion.

Xion shook her head. "No, I think you just wanted to seem impressive," she told Axel. "Well I guess we should go back now…"

"Yeah," Roxas agreed with a nod. "But this time, _you're_ carrying the bags, Axel!"

"Fine, fine," Axel agreed reluctantly.

They packed up their gear just as the sun was starting to set, and by the time they started out to the dark corridor, the sky was already dark. Axel walked ahead with the bags, finding it somewhat difficult to shuffle through the sand. Xion and Roxas were walking behind at a slow pace, hoping Axel would soon be out of sight.

"I wonder if all Nobodies can love…" Roxas thought out loud.

Xion looked away from the ground and fixed her eyes on him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well so far we know that we can love," Roxas began, pointing at himself and Xion. "And we know Axel and Larxene can love. What about the rest? I'm wondering especially about Xemnas. He seems so heartless…"

"Yeah," number XIV agreed. "I can see some of the other members falling in love…but others I cannot." She made a disgusted face. "Like Saix for instance. And Marluxia. They're just too weird."

"Don't forget Lexaeus or Zexion. The only thing Zexion could fall in love with is a book," Roxas commented with a laugh.

"Yeah, and Xaldin couldn't love either," Xion added. "Come to think of it, most of them don't seem like they could. I don't know about Xigbar, he's just too creepy…"

Roxas nodded whole-nonexistent-heartily. "You've got that right," he agreed. After a moment of walking in silence, he brought up another topic. "So do you still feel uncomfortable in that bathing suit?"

Xion shrugged. "Somewhat. It's getting a bit…chilly."

"Well where's your jacket?" Roxas asked, looking around to see if she had left it.

"Axel has it," Xion replied. "But he's too far ahead…"

Roxas unzipped his jacket and took it off. "Here, have mine," he said with a kind smile. He helped her into it and zipped it up. Then he stepped back to get a better look. Granted, it hung on her like a burlap sack, but at least it would keep her warm. "Well it's not a perfect fit, but it'll do," he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her.

Xion let out a giggle. She took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of the warm jacket. "Smells…lemony."

Number XIII smirked. "Yeah, it would smell worse if Marluxia did the laundry."

"Yeah, never let Marly do the laundry," the girl Nobody laughed.

Roxas looked over the horizon but couldn't see Axel anywhere. "Hey, Xion, Axel's really far ahead now…maybe…"

Xion grinned. "Yes! Finally!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face up to hers. Their lips were about to meet but a voice once again interrupted them.

"Come on you two! No time for that!" Axel exclaimed. He actually wasn't as far as they had thought. Roxas and Xion groaned simultaneously but picked up their pace.

* * *

"So why exactly did Vexen kick you out of his lab again?" Namine asked. She and Marluxia were sitting in the Grey Room, drinking tea.

"He thought I was performing floccinaucinihilipilification regarding one of his experiments," Marluxia explained, taking his tea cup away from his lips.

"Wow, big word," Namine commented. "Did Zexion teach you that?"

At that moment, Marluxia's eyes wandered to the clock. "Oh! I'm supposed to meet the superior in the laundry room!" he remembered. "You hang around here until I get back, okay?"

"Sure," Namine replied cheerfully. "Maybe Roxas will come back."

Marluxia then left the Grey Room hastily. The superior wasn't exactly happy with him that morning, and he knew that if he wasn't on time he would be in more hot water. As he rushed down the halls, his punctual plan was interrupted by Xigbar.

"Hey, Marly," Xigbar greeted with his usual smirk.

"What do you want?" Marluxia asked, slowing down his pace.

"I just want a little information…" Xigbar replied. "Like as to why you won't let Namine see my magazine…"

Marluxia sighed. "I really don't have time for this," he muttered. "But if you must know, she's a nice girl and I don't want to see her hurt. Why she takes interest in that keyblader is beyond me."

Xigbar looked up from the notes he had been jotting down. "Very interesting…" he said with a mischievous grin. "Well, that is all."

Marluxia just groaned, thought nothing of it, and hurried away to the laundry room.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Grey Room, Namine was just wandering about the perimeter, admiring the wallpaper. "I wonder if Nobodies can have feelings…" she thought out loud. "And if so, could I be Roxas' special someone?" Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the dark corridor opening. Not knowing who it was, she quickly hid behind one of the newly added plants (Marluxia's idea to give the Grey Room more class). In her hiding spot she observed Axel, Roxas, and Xion step out of the dark corridor. As soon as she noticed Roxas was shirtless she nearly died.

"Well I'll go put these away and then find my little sadist," Axel said. "See you two tomorrow!"

As soon as Axel left, Xion flopped down (in a seated position) on the couch. Roxas took a seat beside her. "Have fun today?" he asked her.

Xion nodded enthusiastically. "I sure did. Thanks for teaching me how to swim."

"No problem," Roxas replied with a laugh. "It was fun." He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"_Why is he wrapping his arm around her?" _Namine thought. _"Just a friendly gesture I suppose…"_

"Now, Xion," Roxas said softly, pressing his nose to the side of her face. "I hope you're not having any bad dreams. I'm just as confused as you are about everything…but…I'm happy. _Really_ happy. Happy that you're my little Xion."

Xion's lips stretched into a tender smile. "Aw, Roxy, I'm so happy I can't describe it. I mean, I'm happy that I'm capable of _being_ happy, you know? I just love you so much…"

Now Namine was _really_ confused. _"Did I really hear her just say that?"_

"I love you too," Roxas answered sincerely. "That jerk Axel's been interrupting us all day. But finally he's not here."

Xion grinned mischievously. "You mean…?"

Roxas nodded with enthusiasm. "Yup, I can finally give you that kiss you deserve."

A red flag went up in Namine's mind. _"Kiss?"_

Number XIV looked downwards bashfully. "You really want to?" she asked, her face red.

"Of course!" Roxas replied cheerfully. "Why wouldn't I? At first I thought it was a little weird…but now I've grown to like it!"

"Me too," Xion agreed, grinning widely.

As she sat there smiling at him, Roxas couldn't help but admire her beauty. "What beautiful black hair…it frames your face so perfectly. And those gorgeous blue eyes that shine like diamonds. And your adorable smile that would make my heart skip a beat if I had one."

Xion let out a soft giggle. "You really mean that?" she asked, her eyes shining.

Roxas took his hand and cupped it around her chin. "Of course," he whispered. "To me you're not a replica…you're Xion." Unlike their kisses in the past, this one wasn't slow. After many interruptions, the boy had finally learned how to do things quicker. He captured Xion's lips with his, pressing against them firmly. Xion almost melted at the feel of him. Suddenly the kiss became so heated that Roxas actually pushed her down on the couch and proceeded to kiss her in a horizontal fashion. Xion had let out a gasp, for Roxas had never done anything like this before. But she was confident that he wouldn't hurt her, so she didn't flinch. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and unreservedly returned the kiss.

"How? How can this be?"

Startled by the voice, Roxas and Xion quickly separated. To their horror, Namine was standing right in front of them. She had seen the whole thing. They quickly sat up and brushed themselves off, terribly embarrassed. "I…" Roxas began.

"I didn't know Nobodies could feel…in that sort of way. Especially you two…towards each other…" Namine said. Her eyes swelled up with tears. "I…don't understand. She's just a replica…not even a real Nobody."

"Don't call her that!" Roxas suddenly exclaimed, standing up. "She's Xion and that's all that matters!"

"I don't understand you at all, Roxas!" Namine exclaimed tearfully. "You're nothing at all like Sora! You…you're horrible!" And with that she ran away, her loud sobbing waking up every grouchy Nobody in the castle.

"_Along the road ahead lies something you need. However, in order to claim it you must lose something that is dear to you.__"_


	21. More Debates

Chapter 21 – More Debates

"Oh great! Now what?" Xion asked in distress. "Namine knows, and she might do something awful!"

"I'm sorry, Xion!" Roxas cried. "It's all my fault! I should have combed the room for spies first!"

"Woah, woah, woah, what's all the commotion?" came a voice. The two distraught Nobodies looked to see Axel enter the Grey Room. The Flurry of Dancing Flames looked like he was ready to turn in; his red hair was somewhat messed up and he wore bright crimson pajamas with a fire pattern on them.

Roxas sighed loudly, letting his arms dangle loosely in front of him. "Namine knows about me and Xion now…"

Axel glanced at Roxas' face and then over at Xion's. Both of them wore the same worried look. "She does? How? Did Xigbar tell her or something?"

Xion shook her head. "Nope, she caught us in the act of…kissing," she explained, hanging her head in shame.

"Oh, that's bad," Axel commented, making a face. "I've heard she has some sort of powers…and if she wants you so badly, Roxas, she might use them against you, Xion."

At those words, Roxas summoned his keyblade. "She can try, but I won't let her! I'll protect Xion with everything I have!"

Despite Roxas' bold declaration, Xion still had a look of fear on her face. "What do you suggest we do?" she asked Axel anxiously.

"Just wait," Axel replied calmly, though he was looking far off into the distance. "That's all we can do…"

* * *

"Namine, why are you still up?" Marluxia asked. He stood at the doorway of the little girl's room, a pink robe on and a lavender candle in his hand. As he had walked through the corridors of the castle to take care of some 'business', he noticed that Namine's light was still on. He found her sitting in a white chair, drawing on her sketchpad.

"Because I can't sleep," she replied in an uncharacteristically harsh tone, not even looking up from her drawing. Then she started to mumble to herself. "Why does Roxas like her? She's just a puppet!"

"Hm?" Marluxia asked. He walked further into her room and stopped right beside her. He was quite surprised to see what Namine was drawing – a picture of Xion as a puppet. "What's wrong?"

Namine sighed. "I know I shouldn't be mad…but I really wish that Roxas could be with me…instead of _her_." She put down her sketchbook on her lap and brushed off the eraser dust.

Marluxia rested his hand on the back of her chair. "Oh, so you found out?"

The girl nodded, fighting back tears. "They…Nobodies aren't supposed to act like that…"

The Graceful Assassin nodded. "I know. That's what the meeting we had earlier was about. The superior…he doesn't seem to care at all, as long as it doesn't interfere with work. But love…" Suddenly something flashed through his mind.

"_Oh, go kiss a spork!"_

"Love is stupid," Marluxia finished.

Namine nodded. "Yes. But…I want Roxas." A tear drop splattered down on her sketchpad, smudging the pencil lines. "He…is so much like Sora."

Marluxia let out a sigh, gazing down at her. "Do you really want him?"

"Mhm," Namine nodded pitifully, looking up at him. "It's…so lonely in that mansion. There's nothing to do but draw."

Marluxia looked up at the ceiling as he thought. "Well if you want him so much…I can help you get him."

Startled, Namine looked up at number XI. "R-really?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "We still have five more days. I think that should be enough time. Now, I think I have a plan…"

"Wait," the girl in white said apprehensively. "I feel bad enough for drawing this mean picture...the plan isn't mean, is it?"

Marluxia closed his eyes, trying to come up with a way to explain it to her. "Sometimes, Namine, we have to fight for what we want."

Namine sniffled. "Fight? But I don't know how to fight…"

"Not literally," he explained, shaking his head. "Now, I have an idea. You have the power to mess with people's memories, right?"

"Right…" Namine answered.

"Well," the Graceful Assassin continued. "I know from a few blabbermouths that Roxas wishes he had Sora's memories. Those memories probably mean a lot more to him than Xion does. If he promises to give up Xion, give him his memories."

Namine's face suddenly lit up. "That's a great idea! And he'll be able to remember Kairi, my other, and he'll be drawn closer to me! Thanks Marluxia." She leaned over and embraced the man.

"You're welcome," Marluxia replied, a small smile gracing his features. "So sometime tomorrow, get him alone."

* * *

A meeting with some of the higher-ranked members was held the next morning after breakfast. Xemnas and Saix were feeling better so it was a regular work day. The rest of the members that weren't attending the meeting were hanging around the Grey Room.

Xemnas, Saix, Xigbar, Vexen, and Marluxia sat in the chairs of Where Nothing Gathers. Vexen had just been pulled out of his lab to attend the meeting, so goggles were still on his head and gloves were still on his hands. Xigbar had a few issues of his magazine on his lap, and Saix was drinking some stomach-soothing aloe tea. As soon as the superior spoke, the meeting began.

"I have called you here today," number I started. "To discuss a matter of which I'm sure you're all familiar with. Number XIII and XIV. Xigbar has requested to speak first on this matter, so go ahead number II." He nodded at the Freeshooter.

Xigbar sat up in his chair. "As you all know, Roxas and Xion claim to be in love. They now spend all their time together, either talking about love or performing the gestures only Somebodies in love do, also known as kissing. I would just like to give you a little update on them." He held up the latest issue of his magazine; the cover shot was of the Roxas-Xion couch incident from the previous evening.

"Yes," Marluxia said, clearing his throat. "Namine just found out about their ridiculous relationship yesterday, which she is quite upset about. Xion is merely a replica – a puppet – and I don't think this should be allowed to continue."

"Superior," Vexen began, taking out his notepad. "I preformed the tests that you instructed me to. Now, the first test came out negative - they most certainly do not have hearts. Now for the next test, they claimed they felt feelings. They also said they felt like they were the only ones in the world when they kissed and that nothing else mattered…NOT EVEN MY LABORATORY! I'm not sure what to think, but they sure have made the study of Nobodies _a lot_ more complicated."

"Love is absurd," Saix put in. "It should be stopped immediately. It does nothing for this Organization."

After a moment of contemplation, Xemnas spoke. "They haven't had enough time yet," he said. "Their performance records haven't been dropping yet, and it hasn't affected the completion of Kingdom Hearts. I honestly have no interest whatsoever in this matter, as long as the achievement of our task is not hindered in any way."

"But superior!" Marluxia objected.

"Just ignore them," Xemnas replied. "And Xigbar, keep me posted on the latest gossip. All right, meeting adjourned."

"_Oh well," _Marluxia thought. _"Namine will stop this soon enough."_

_

* * *

_

Xion and Roxas sat on one of the couches in the Grey Room, waiting for Saix to arrive and hand out the missions. Number XIV was as stiff as a board as she stared down at her hands. She hadn't slept well last night and was still terribly worried about what Namine would do.

"C'mon, Xion, cheer up," Roxas said, wrapping an arm around her. "I won't let anyone harm you, I promise. Look, Namine isn't even around. Some c'mon…smile?"

Xion let out a sigh and looked up at the boy. "I'm sorry, Roxas, I'm just worried. Everything is happening so fast. We _still_ don't know why I'm alive and why Nobodies can love and now Namine might make things even more complicated!"

Roxas pulled the distressed girl into an embrace, soothingly patting her back. "Don't worry, Xion, don't worry. Everything will be all right."

Xion looked back down at her lap. "I don't know…"

Letting go of her, Roxas stuck his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a seashell. It wasn't just an ordinary seashell either – it was stunning. It was colored with rich pinks and reds and was striped with chocolate-colored stripes that sparkled. It was even more beautiful than the shell they had found together in the ocean the day before. When it caught Xion's eye, the girl gasped. She too had never seen anything so radiant. "Here," number XIII said. "I'm promising on this seashell that I will never leave you. That we will always be together…forever…"

As Xion gazed at the shell, her eyes filled up with tears. "Oh, Roxas!" she exclaimed, taking the seashell from him. She then threw her arms around him and squeezed him as tightly as she could. "I love you! And I'll never leave you either! Oh, I'll cherish this shell forever!"

Roxas grinned, quite happy that he had cheered his girl up. "I love you too," he said, rubbing his nose in Xion's hair. However, he stopped suddenly, feeling a shadow loom over him. When he heard a voice, he quickly released Xion and turned around.

"Fools," Saix spat. "Love isn't real, at least not for Nobodies. Don't waste your time pretending to do something you cannot."

"Leave us alone!" Roxas exclaimed. "We'll do whatever we want, thank you very much."

"You will not gain anything from this," Saix said. "But, as you wish. Xion, your mission today is with Roxas. Superior's orders. So hurry up and get ready for Agrabah."

"Agrabah," Roxas mused. "I hope we find out what the Genie has been talking about."

"Yup," Xion agreed, looking over the mission roster. "It says here we have to eliminate all the Heartless in the Cave of Wonders."

"Easy," Roxas said, shrugging. He then put his hand under hers, closing her fingers around the shell. "Keep it safe."

"Don't worry, I will," Xion assured him, beaming. They got off the couch and were about to open the dark corridor when Axel appeared.

"Hey Ax- EW WHAT IS THAT SMELL?" Roxas exclaimed suddenly, covering his nose.

"Yeah!" Xion coughed. "It smells like roses, tulips, daisies, pansies, sunflowers, red snapdragons, and Venus flytraps!"

"That's 'cause Marluxia did the laundry yesterday!" Axel exclaimed. "And I was 'lucky' enough to have put my jacket in the wash!"

Roxas took Xion's hand, trying to contain his laughter. "All right, well, see you at the clock tower later!" He and Xion then exited through the dark corridor.

Axel let out a sigh. "I hope those two don't get into trouble," he thought out loud. Suddenly Larxene came up to him.

"Good morning, pyro," the Savage Nymph said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"'Morning," Axel replied, less-enthusiastically.

Larxene detected the worry in Axel's voice and became concerned. "Aw, Axey, what's wrong?" she asked, gently brushing his cheek with her finger.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames sighed as he turned to face her. "I'm just worried about Roxas and Xion. Enough people are already out to get them and now Namine."

"Yeah, I heard about that in Xigbar's magazine," Larxene told him. "But don't worry!" She produced her throwing knives from in between her fingers. "We'll protect them, won't we, number VIII?"

Axel couldn't help smiling. Larxene actually cared for once. He liked the new leaf she had turned over. Sure, she was still a sadist in some cases, but in other cases she actually didn't seem so heartless. "Right, number XII."

**Author's Note: Sorry about the somewhat of a delay, I would have done this sooner if it hadn't been for those bite-correcting springs in my mouth creating all these awful canker sores. Idk when the next chapter will be done, but hopefully soon. I got some awesome ideas from a friend of mine! **


	22. The Carpet's Clue

Chapter 22 – The Carpet's Clue

After exiting the dark corridor, Xion and Roxas found themselves in the sandy streets of Agrabah. The place looked moderately deserted, as it usually does. There was no sign of the Genie, so the two decided to complete their mission first.

"I don't see any Heartless out here," Xion observed. "They must be all in the cave or something."

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. He took a deep breath of the desert air and stared up at the sky. _"I wonder if this is real?" _he thought. _"I mean, it has to be…but how could the course of history be changed?"_ Being back in Agrabah gave Roxas this confused feeling, like this place was a part of something. Suddenly he heard a strange voice in his head.

"_Agrabah is the key…"_

"The key?" he thought out loud. Xion's attention was immediately turned to him.

"Hm?" she asked, fingering the handle of her keyblade. While Roxas had been thinking she had been slashing the air with her keyblade, getting in some practice.

Roxas stepped closer to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Xion…" he began. "When we were here last together, did you get any strange feelings?"

Xion leaned against her keyblade casually and thought. "Now that you mention it…I sure did. I heard voices from time to time, that's what caused me to pass out. What do you think it is?"

Number XIII scanned his surroundings for anything suspicious, but everything seemed ordinary. "I don't know…let's keep moving."

As the two headed over to the secret entrance of the cave, they didn't meet up with any Heartless. The streets were dry and dusty as they walked, setting the scene for the unusual day to come. When they had finally arrived in the Cave of Wonders, not even the sound of a falling grain of sand could be heard.

"I thought Saix said there were Heartless here…" Xion began, looking around nervously. "This sure is spooky…"

"Don't worry," Roxas told her, summoning his keyblade. "I'll protect you."

The two started down the large hall, their footsteps echoing through the whole cave. Even the air about them felt different, more different than they had remembered it. Suddenly a small stone came loose from the wall and fell, causing Xion to jump.

Roxas tenderly took the girl's hand in his, spreading his warmth to her through their touch. "Don't be afraid, silly, it was just a rock," he teased. "If you're afraid of pebbles then how did you stand it in Halloween Town?"

Xion blushed, feeling absolutely stupid and childish. "I'm sorry…" she said, looking down at the ground. "I guess I should tell you about the dream I had last night…"

Immediately Roxas' expression grew worried. "Dream? What dream?"

The girl took a deep breath. "I don't remember much about it. All I remember was that there was this dark spooky place…and something bad happened…"

"What sort of thing?" Roxas asked curiously.

Xion shrugged. "I don't know, I don't remember…Not remembering things stink. I mean, I can't even remember how I died, let alone how I'm alive."

"Yeah," Roxas agreed in a low tone of voice. "I usually tell you to just forget about it, but this place has me wondering too…"

Suddenly Xion felt a burst of courage, and she thrust her keyblade forward, pointing the way. "Well then let's finish this mission and get out of here!"

Roxas was pleasantly surprised by his best friend's braveness. Letting out a chuckle, he said, "All right, Xi-Xi, lead the way."

Xion hesitated for a moment, but after a gentle push from Roxas they started out again. After about five minutes, they made it to the other room.

"Still no sign of Heartless," number XIII said, hands on his hips. But he spoke to soon. At that moment, several soldiers and scarlet tangos appeared. The two Nobodies immediately swung into action, slashing at the Heartless with their keyblades. Their voices echoed through the vast halls of the cave as they battled. After about a couple dozen slashes, the band of Heartless disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving nothing but the valued hearts behind.

"Roxas, we're getting faster every time," Xion said happily. "There's no way Xemnas can say we're doing a bad job because we're in love."

"Yup," the boy Nobody agreed, taking Xion's hand in his. "Love just makes us stronger."

After a moment of gazing into each other's eyes, Xion spoke. "Well, we better keep going. I think there's supposed to be some bigger Heartless we need to take down as well, not just these small ones."

So they continued on, weaving their way through the platforms and pillars. They ran into more aerial Heartless and also some soldiers and deserters, but these were no match for this duo. Instead of just heading on further into the cave, they searched the whole room first, making sure no Heartless were left alive. When that task was complete, they climbed the platforms until they reached the upper room. After walking across the bridge, they entered another room.

"We fought Pete here, remember?" Xion asked, taking in her surroundings.

"Yup," Roxas responded, casually twirling his keyblade. "You know, it's strange how we both remember some things but then other things we don't. Like you don't remember your death and I don't remember at all how I got into bed that one morning. I mean, I even remember leaving the Organization."

Remembering their previous discussions on the subject, Xion didn't feel so perky anymore. "Yeah. Is this a dream or was that? It's just too confusing to be possible."

Roxas reached out his hand and touched the girl's face. "…And yet, it is," he said, gazing into her depressed blue eyes. All of a sudden the room started to shake and a rumbling was heard. "There's our Heartless!" Roxas announced, bracing himself. "Get ready now! It sounds like a big one!"

The two Nobodies stood side by side, keyblades in hand and ready for any attack by the incoming Heartless. Suddenly a Large Armor dropped from the ceiling; when it landed the floor shook. It stepped forward, raising its arms to strike when its armored foot kicked a small stone. Despite the rock's small size, the Large Armor managed to trip over it. The great bulky Heartless keeled over and began to roll. Xion and Roxas stepped back in surprise and watched it crash into a wall. It then unexpectedly disappeared with a cloud of purple smoke, leaving only a heart. The two Nobodies' jaws dropped.

When they got over their awe, Roxas walked over to the heart and collected it with his keyblade. "Well…that was easy."

"That Heartless is dumber than Xigbar!" Xion laughed, joining Roxas' side.

"Nah, nothing can be dumber than Xigbar," Roxas said, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand. The two best friends started to burst out in laughter. They didn't even know why really; the joke wasn't even that funny. They were just happy to mission together again.

After their laughter died down, Xion suggested that they head back to the city and search for the Genie. Roxas agreed so they started out again. Back across the bridge, down the platforms, and then back to the main room was their route. But when they got to the main room, they halted. There stood someone in a black coat – one of the Organization members no doubt.

Suddenly the hooded figure turned around, saying, "Huh? Ah! You!" He then removed his hood, revealing himself – Demyx.

Both Roxas and Xion stood there, twice as dumbfounded as they were at the Large Armor's stupidity. What was Demyx doing there?

Demyx put one hand on his hip as he thought. "Wait a sec…Roxas?"

Roxas was confused as to why Demyx was acting the way he was. He knew the Nobody could be a bit slow at times, but he was acting as if he didn't even know who he was. Suddenly by some strange compulsion, number XIII answered, "Excuse me?"

"Roxas?" Demyx asked again. "Oh, it's no use."

"Huh?" Roxas asked, placing his hands on his hips. "What are you talking about?"

At that moment, Demyx took some note cards out of his pocket and began to read them. "Let's see, here…'If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition'…Right. Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one…"

Roxas didn't even know how or why he was doing this, but he folded his arms across his chest and said, "You're bizarre."

Demyx was about to take something out of his other pocket when Xion intervened. "What's the matter with you guys? Demyx, why are you here, and why are you acting like you don't know Roxas?"

Number IX dropped his note cards and thought. "I…have no clue actually…" he admitted, a very confused expression on his face. Suddenly all of them heard a loud, strange voice.

"_If things had gone as they were designed, it would be about time for that scene to come to pass."_

Demyx jumped. "What was that? Who goes there?"

"It…sounded like Xemnas," Roxas pointed out. "But Xemnas isn't here…"

"See, Roxas! I told you this place was haunted!" Xion exclaimed, starting to panic.

"Then let's get out of here!" Roxas exclaimed, grabbing Xion's hand. The three Nobodies dashed for the exit, the ends of their coats flapping behind them. As soon as they got out of the cave, they headed straight for Agrabah. When they were finally back in the sand covered city, they stopped for a breather.

"That was so weird…" Xion remarked, leaning against one of the buildings.

"Yeah, but do you know what's weirder?" Roxas asked, glaring suspiciously at Demyx. "Why Demyx is here…I thought your mission today was to Neverland with Xigbar…a Heartless mission if I remember correctly."

Demyx stood there catching his breath for a moment before he realized what Roxas was inferring. "No, I didn't run away 'cause it was too hard!"

"Then why did you run away?" Roxas asked, folding his arms and giving the Melodious Nocturne a smug look.

"Because…" Demyx began, taking a deep breath. He then let the air out and let his arms dangle loosely in front of him as he admitted, "'Cause it was too hard…"

Roxas and Xion both snickered. "Won't Xigbar be mad?" Xion asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I was mad when you ditched me a while ago," Roxas said.

"No, I'm his friend, so he won't be mad," Demyx replied, though he didn't sound so confident.

Xion giggled. "Well, good luck with that…" Suddenly she remembered something. "Hey, wait a minute! You're Xigbar's friend, so could you do us a favor?"

"It depends…" Demyx responded skeptically, crossing his arms. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well you see…" number XIV began. "Xigbar is always spying on us and never gives us any privacy. I think he even follows us to the clock tower. So maybe when we RTC can you keep him busy so he doesn't have time to spy?"

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Roxas exclaimed. "Great job, Xi-Xi!"

"Sure, guys, I'll help you out," Demyx replied. "Annoyance is what I'm built for. So then…shall we RTC?"

"Sure!" Roxas replied cheerfully. But then suddenly he remembered the unfinished business he and Xion had to attend to. "No, wait….actually, you go on ahead and we'll catch up with you later."

"Ohhhh," number IX said. "You two wanna be alone! Okay, I got you. DemDem out." He then headed for the dark corridor. After he had entered it and left, the two younger Nobodies began their search around the streets Agrabah.

"Do you think calling his name would help any?" Xion asked as she peered into a blue vase.

"Yeah, probably," Roxas replied with a shrug. "Genie! Genie! Where are you?"

The two wondered around the streets for a while, searching high and low for any sign of the Genie. After about five minutes, Xion noticed a sign on one of the doors. She called Roxas over and read it out loud. "It says 'Be back in a few days – Genie.'"

Roxas' shoulders slumped. "Oh, so he's not here right now? That's a shame…I really wanted to find out what that guy did for me."

Xion was about to respond when suddenly there was a commotion on the rooftops. They looked up just in time to see a carpet fly away. But as the carpet flew, a small piece of paper dropped from it, landing right in front of Roxas and Xion.

"Hey, wasn't that the Genie's magic carpet?" Xion asked.

"Yeah, I think it was," Roxas replied. Then his eyes were drawn to the folded piece of paper in the sand, and he bent down and picked it up. "What do you suppose this is?"

"I don't know," she replied, eyeing it carefully. "Open it up."

Number XIII carefully unfolded the old piece of paper and noticed there was writing on the inside. "Hmm…looks like some kind of shopping list," he mused.

"Let me see!" the girl said, taking the paper out of his hands. After a few moments of reading, she realized, "Hey, this isn't a shopping list. Who would shop for stopping sand storms? No, this looks like a to-do list! And it has the Genie's signature!"

Roxas took it back from her and examined it himself. "Yeah, and it's dated about two weeks ago. Hm, let's see… 'stop sand storms, knit Aunt Amaima a sweater, pick up some alcohol-free champagne at Bah-Bah's Imports, bake a cake for Al's birthday, find homes for lost puppies, buy a magic carpet duster, take care of sick kid named Roxas, e-"

"Wait!" Xion exclaimed, interrupting him. "Take care of sick kid named Roxas? That's you!"

"Hey, yeah!" Roxas realized, taking his eyes away from the note. "He must have taken care of me after I fell off the clock tower!"

"The clock tower?" number XIV asked, tilting her head. "When did you fall off the clock tower?"

Suddenly all the memories came rushing back into Roxas' head. "Yes…after you died I went to stop Xemnas…but Riku fought me. The next thing I knew I was in Twilight Town…that must have been what happened."

There was a moment of silence before Xion spoke. "Yes…that explains how _you're_ alive. But it doesn't explain how I'm alive…"

"Right," Roxas realized, scratching his head. "I wonder if the Genie has something to do with that also…"

"Well we can't ask him now," Xion said, gesturing to the sign on the door. "I guess we'll just have to come back later."

Roxas began to rub his head. "I was fighting Riku…" he muttered. "Oh, huh?"

Xion took his hand and started to lead him away. "C'mon, let's RTC, before you get sunstroke."

Roxas followed her but held on to the note. It might come in handy in the future.


	23. Happenings in the Castle

Chapter 23 – Happenings in the Castle

Axel walked down the halls of The Castle That Never Was, eyes fixed straight ahead. He had just arrived back from his solo mission and was going to see Larxene before he headed out to Twilight Town. His boots made a clicking noise on the white floors as he walked, giving him an air of importance. His mind was swirling with thoughts, however, almost causing him to walk past the door to Larxene's room. He suddenly caught himself when in the corner of his eyes he noticed the number XII sign on the door. The Flurry of Dancing Flames then rapped lightly on the door. When he heard Larxene's voice on the other side say "come in", he opened the door and entered.

"Hey Larx!" he greeted with a cocky smile, resting an elbow against the wall. Larxene was sitting at her desk, turned around in her chair so she was facing him. "What'cha doin'?" He walked up to her curiously and examined the articles of paper on her desk. She turned herself back the right way in her chair.

"Just formulating some plans we might need in case things get messy," the Savage Nymph replied, tilting her head to the side as she shaded in a drawing.

Axel looked over her shoulder and chuckled. The sadist was drawing a picture of herself electrocuting Xigbar and sticking needles into Marluxia. "Great plan," he told her.

Larxene pushed the paper aside and rested her head in her palms. "Even if nothing happens I'm still doing that to Marluxia," she muttered, rubbing her sore temples.

Axel stepped a bit closer, growing concerned. "Why, what did that flowerhead do to you?"

"He won't stop bothering me," Larxene replied, frustrated.

"Yeah…" Axel said, trying to recall. "I do remember seeing that one scene in the library. That creep…"

Number XII nodded. "Yup, and he came back later too. And he said he'll come back again. He's such a pest."

At that moment, Axel stepped back and summoned his chakrams. "Want me to stop him for you?" he asked, a sly smile on his face.

Larxene grinned. "Nah, let's both do that some time later. Right now you have to go eat ice cream, right?"

Number VIII's chakrams disappeared and he stepped closer to the Savage Nymph. "You know, those two are my best buds and all, but I think they'd like some time alone. I ran into Demyx a few minutes ago and he said that Roxas and Xion had asked him to distract Xigbar for a few hours. Those two deserve some time with just the two of them, no spies or anything."

A warm smile spread across Larxene's face and she stood up. "Wow Axel, you're all heart. Well, if you had a heart. So are you going to tell them to go ahead without you?"

"Yup," Axel replied. "Then meet me in the rec. room for movie night. And bring lots of popcorn."

"All right," Larxene agreed.

Axel headed for the door and was about to leave when he remembered something. "Oh, and hold down on the vinegar," he said with a smirk.

"Okay, now go!" Larxene commanded, practically pushing him out the door.

* * *

A couple hallways down, Roxas and Xion were discussing a few things as they walked.

"I'm really glad Demyx is distracting Xigbar for us," Xion said gratefully. "We owe him something."

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. "We could give him some food or something. Like cookies…or cheese…or cheese covered cookies…or cookie covered cheese."

"Oh stop you!" Xion laughed, playfully hitting him. There was a moment of silence before Xion thought of something. "Hey, Roxas?"

Roxas took his eyes off the hallway ahead and looked at number XIV. "Yeah?"

"Well…" the raven-haired girl began awkwardly. "I have this red hair ribbon…and I was wondering if maybe you'd want me to wear it?"

Roxas smiled tenderly. "Of course, Xi-Xi, anything you want," he replied.

"Okay!" Xion decided. "Then I'll dash to my room and you can go ahead to the Grey Room and wait for Axel." She was about to depart when suddenly Axel appeared.

"Hey you two," he greeted.

"Hey Axel," Roxas responded. "Xion needs to dash to her room for a minute so we'll need to wait."

Axel looked up at the ceiling, trying to find a way phrase what he wanted to say. "Hey, would you two mind if I skip out on the ice cream today? I'm not feeling too well…"

"Oh, you're not?" Xion asked, concerned.

"Yeah," the Flurry of Dancing Flames replied. "You two go on ahead without me, I think I'll just hang around the castle for a while, maybe meet up with Larxene with something."

"Okay," Roxas agreed, though he sounded a bit disappointed. He hoped he and Xion didn't make number VIII feel left out. "If you want."

"Well, Roxas, go ahead to the clock tower I guess, I'll meet you there in a few minutes," Xion told the boy. She then headed off to her room.

"So…Axel…" Roxas began slyly. "How exactly is it to be Larxene's boyfriend?"

Axel was a bit startled by the question. "Oh, it's great," he replied. "Except she threatens that if I ever stand her up for a date she'll beat the living daylights out of me. Well, I guess that's what I get for falling in love with a sadist."

Roxas chuckled. "Yeah…I'm glad my Xion is so sweet and gentle."

Axel nodded. "Well, you two have fun. See you later." The two friends then went their separate ways, Roxas to Twilight Town and Axel to the rec. room.

* * *

After a few minutes, Xion exited her room. Part of her raven locks were pulled back and tied with a red ribbon, creating a quite attractive hairstyle. She felt rather giddy as she walked down the halls, heading toward the Grey Room where she could transport. _"I wonder if Roxas will like my hair," _she thought, not being able to control the smile on her face. She was so excited that she didn't even hear the footsteps behind her, oblivious that she was being followed.

"_She can't go to the clock tower."_ Suddenly a figure stepped out of the shadows and called out to number XIV. The girl turned around to see Marluxia standing there.

"Oh, Marluxia, hi," she said, trying to be friendly. She had no idea that the Graceful Assassin had become one of the members that hated her and Roxas' relationship the most. "Can I…help you?"

"Actually, yes," Marluxia replied in his typical monotone voice. "You know how the superior sometimes asks us bigger members to teach you little members some things?"

"Yeah…" Xion replied, uncertain as to what the man had in mind.

"Well Xemnas wants me to teach you how garden," Marluxia informed.

"Wait, what?" Xion asked, startled. "Not right now, I was just going to eat ice cream with Roxas!"

"Quite a shame, really," number XI said sarcastically. "Well, it's the superior's orders."

"But!" the girl protested.

"If you disobey his orders…he may not allow your silly relationship with Roxas to continue," Marluxia warned slyly.

Xion groaned. "Yeah…but me and Roxas…"

"Look at it this way," Marluxia said, grinning. "If you disobey his orders and go see Roxas, it might be the last time you can ever see him. But if you obey and miss seeing Roxas right now, you'll get to see him many more times in future. Now, which do you choose?"

Xion thought in silence for a moment. _"But Xigbar won't be spying…ugh this really stinks."_ "I choose…to go with you," she muttered through her teeth.

Marluxia's thin lips curved into a pleased smile. "Excellent. Come, the garden's this way. My petunias are just _dying_ to meet you." As he took her away, he stealthily looked over his shoulder and signaled something. Unaware to Xion, Namine hurried down the hall, headed for the Grey Room.

* * *

Demyx entered Xigbar's room nervously, attracting his attention. The Freeshooter had been packing some things in a large rectangular bag, but when number IX had entered he looked up at him. "Well, if it isn't the absconder," he said with a smirk.

"Um…hi, Xigbar," Demyx said, trying not to be scared. But he let out a squeak as Xigbar came closer and cornered him against a wall.

"…And they wonder why I have a scar and a missing eye," number II said, resting his hand against the wall.

"Um…" Demyx began, trying to think up an excuse. However, he could not, so he decided to threaten instead. "If you lay one hand on me I'll sue you for everything you're worth! Which…isn't much…"

Xigbar backed away and resumed putting things in the bag. "Nah, never mind. Just don't do it again if you want to be considered my friend."

Demyx let out a sigh of relief. _"That was a close one,"_ he thought. _"But now I can be incredibly annoying."_ "Hey, Xiggy," he said, walking up to him. "What'cha doin', pal o' mine?"

Xigbar shot Demyx a weird look as he continued to pack. "Just making sure I have plenty of extra batteries for my cameras," he replied. "Boy, tomorrow is going to have some humdinger of an issue. I heard Axel isn't going to the clock tower, so it's just going to be Poppet and kiddo, thinking they're all alone…hehe."

"Yeah, about that," the Melodious Nocturne began, wringing his hands together. "Don't go."

Xigbar froze for a second and then looked up at him. "What?"

The look in Xigbar's eye made Demyx feel nervous again. "Don't go," he repeated. He tried to sound firm but he failed.

"Why not?" Xigbar asked. "I wouldn't miss this exhibition for the world!" He picked up his camera bag and headed for the door.

"Wait! I need your help!" Demyx exclaimed.

Xigbar stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What? I'm a busy man, you know. Running a magazine company isn't easy."

"Yeah…I know…" number IX said timidly. "But you see…I have a problem…and it'll only take a second."

Xigbar let out a sigh of defeat and walked back to the Melodious Nocturne. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Well…" Demyx began, trying to think up some good lies. "I have this problem…I've been having these weird dreams recently…"

"Pff, I'm not a psychiatrist," Xigbar said, heading for the door again. "Go bother Vexen or something."

"_No, I can't let him leave,"_ Demyx thought. Suddenly an idea came to him. He started to sniffle and even produced fake tears. "No I can't!" he wailed. "Vexen isn't my friend! He wouldn't understand my troubles! He would say I'm a nut or something! Only a real friend could help me! WAAAAAAAA!" He then flopped down on Xigbar's couch.

Xigbar rolled his eyes but turned back and approached Demyx. He set a chair by the couch and took a seat on it, and then reached for his notebook. "All right, what's your problem? Just make it quick, I don't want to miss this."

"Well…" Demyx started, sounding immediately better. "It all started when I was a boy…"

"Demyx, you were never a boy," Xigbar pointed out. "Or do you mean your other?"

"Yeah, my other," Demyx corrected quickly, staring up at the ceiling. "Whatever his name was…"

Xigbar made a few notes on his pad and then said, "Okay, continue."

"Hey, care for some tea?" Demyx suddenly asked, sitting up.

"No!" Xigbar exclaimed, pushing the Nobody back down. "Now c'mon, continue with your story."

"Okay," Demyx said, trying to think up more clever lies. "Well when I was three I had a bicycle. But not just any bicycle. Oh no, this one was WATERPROOF!"

Xigbar rolled his eyes and jotted down a few more notes. _"This kid better hurry up or I'll miss Poppet and kiddo completely,"_ he thought. He then looked up at number IX, waiting for him to continue.

"So I was the only kid in town with a waterproof bike," Demyx continued, a far-off look in his eyes. "And it was so popular that I rented it out to kids who wanted to eat salad on it." At that, Xigbar made a face. "That's how I made a living. Five munny per kid. Yes, that was the life…"

"Wow, this is more serious than I thought," Xigbar mused. "Tell me more."

"And then when I was eight…"

Demyx prepared himself for a few more hours of storytelling, hoping Xion and Roxas were appreciating it. Unfortunately, Xion was being dragged around Marluxia's garden, her ears being filled with insignificant babble. And as for Namine…her plan was about to go into effect.

**Author's Note: So yeah, I've been writing more recently 'cause I'm waiting for the Xion cosplay wig I ordered to arrive. So be grateful the UPS is so darn slow!**


	24. The Strength of the Soul

Chapter 24 – The Strength of the Soul

The sky told of a crimson sunset as Roxas sat up on the clock tower. His legs were dangling over the edge and he held an ice cream pop loosely in his hand. He looked out to the horizon and let out a sigh. Now that he was alone he had all the time in the world to think about his troubles. He took the Genie's to-do list out of his pocket and contemplated. "The Genie has something to do with this, I just know it," he said aloud. "But could he have been the one to change the course of history? And whose voice was that in the cave? And what did he mean?" Roxas' head ached from all these questions swirling about in his mind. "I hope Xion comes soon…I can't stand being alone." As Xion's name rolled off his tongue, he smiled peacefully at the thought of her. "Xion…so beautiful." He then put the old piece of paper back in his pocket and fished out a flyer that a man had handed to him on his way to the clock tower. "So I've won two tickets to the movie theater that are to be used two days from now?" he said, his azure eyes scanning the leaflet. "I wonder if Xion would like to go with me…"

At that moment, number XIII heard footsteps from behind, so he turned around excited, expecting to see Xion. But who he _did_ see was not at all whom he had expected – it was Namine. His smile immediately faded and he wondered what he should do. Should he stay put or walk away?

Namine stepped a bit closer before speaking. "Hello, Roxas," she said bashfully, trying to conjure up her most attractive smile. When Roxas didn't respond she took a seat next to him. The boy Nobody scooted away from her uncomfortably. "How are you?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

At length, Roxas spoke. "Fine," he said coldly. "Why are you here? Where's Xion?" He looked down at his melting ice cream, dreading to have to share it with the white witch.

"I don't know where Xion is…" Namine lied. "But I came here to talk to you, Sora."

Startled, Roxas immediately looked up. "Sora? My name is Roxas!"

Namine giggled, trying hard not to get offended. She was the sensitive type after all. "Yes, I know that, Roxas. But you see, Sora…belongs with Kairi."

Roxas raised an eyebrow, quite irritated. _"Don't tell me she'll bring that up too!"_ he thought. "So?"

"So that means…" Namine began nervously, looking down at her folded hands. "He can't keep me company. And…he isn't a Nobody after all, like you and me."

"And Xion…" Roxas added gruffly.

Namine shook her head. "No, Xion is not even a Nobody. She is a replica of a Nobody…" but she stopped when the saw that Roxas' eyes seemed to say 'shut up if you value your life'.

"_If his memories become her memories, she will never survive it."_

Roxas suddenly looked up, startled by what had just come into his head. _"Xion couldn't have co-existed with me because she drained me of my power!" _the boy suddenly remembered._ "But she doesn't now! What on earth has happened? And what about Sora? Will he ever be able to wake up?"_ He looked over at Namine who was nervously twiddling her thumbs. "Namine, about Sora…"

Namine immediately looked up, filled with joy that Roxas had started to speak to her. "Yes?" she asked eagerly.

"Will Sora ever be able to wake up?" Roxas asked. "Without Xion fading away?"

Namine's enthusiasm faded and she looked back down. _"Always about her,"_ she thought bitterly. Suddenly her bitterness surprised her, but she tried to ignore it, remembering what Marluxia had told her.

"_Sometimes, Namine, we have to fight for what we want."_

"Yes," Namine answered quietly. "Sora is doing fine; he should wake up any day now. Though I don't remember exactly how he did fall asleep in the first place…"

"_This is so weird,"_ Roxas thought. _"Certain things are happening as they're supposed to except no one remembers why. This isn't just about Xion being alive anymore…it's about all the events in history."_ Despite how confused number XIII was, he was quite relieved that Xion didn't have to make the sacrifice again for Sora.

There was a stretch of silence before Namine remembered why she was confronting Roxas in the first place. "Roxas…" she began. Roxas didn't bother to look up but she continued anyway. "How does it feel…to not have memories of before you were a Nobody?"

Surprised by the question, Roxas looked up at the girl in white. "You mean Sora's memories?"

"Yes," Namine responded with a nod. "Sora's memories."

Roxas put some thought into his answer before replying. "I don't know…I do feel a bit hazy, at times. It would be nice to have those memories, not having a heart and all but…"

"Roxas," Namine interrupted him in an enchanting voice. "I can give you those memories."

The boy was now even more surprised. "Wh-what? You can?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes," she replied calmly. "However… in order to claim them you must lose something that is dear to you."

Her last sentence left Roxas stupefied. "What?" he asked. "Lose something?"

"Yes," Namine replied once again. She then paused, trying to come up with what to say next. "I _can_ give you back Sora's memories, but there isn't enough room in your h-…soul for them. You'll have to lose some memories…ones of Xion."

At that moment, Roxas drew back quickly. "No, never! I don't need Sora's memories! I'm not losing Xion!" He was appalled by the suggestion.

Namine suddenly grew worried. Her plan wasn't working, what was she going to do? "Roxas, this fake love won't fill you for long! Without a heart, all a Nobody has is his memories! Roxas, you _need_ your memories, but you _don't_ need Xion!"

Roxas raised his soggy ice cream, getting the urge to hit Namine with it. "Our love isn't fake," he said through his teeth. "Don't ever say it is!" He was about to fling the ice cream in rage at the girl, but it slipped out of his hand, plummeting down off the clock tower.

Feeling angrier than she had ever been before, Namine shot up. "Xion is a puppet!" she shouted. "She isn't real! Even if love was real for Nobodies, her love isn't! Because she isn't!"

"She is too real!" Roxas shot back, standing up as well. "You're just jealous! I belong with Xion and nobody else! So just go away!"

Namine was so outraged that she felt she was about to explode. Suddenly a dark aura surrounded her, and her head fell lower but her eyes stayed locked on Roxas. As Roxas caught his breath, he watched her anxiously. After what seemed like hours of waiting, Namine spoke.

"You've left me no choice," she said, her voice surprising low. Her eyes suddenly shut tight and she gritted her teeth, concentrating her whole being.

Roxas suddenly fell backwards. He felt a sharp agonizing pain in his chest and his head, and all he could do was lie there and scream. As he screamed, he could barely hear himself, as if he was in a tunnel. "Stop it!" he managed to cry. "What are you doing?"

Namine just stood there, a sudden wind blowing about her. Her head was also aching from the concentration, but she was persistent. "If you had come willingly, you wouldn't be in such pain," she said eerily. "But this is the path you have chosen!" She then raised her slender arms, her hair whirling in the breeze.

Roxas looked up in awe. "She really is a witch," he voiced. Suddenly the pain in his chest grew and he let out a cry again.

Namine really hated to see him in pain, but she was so furious that she didn't stop herself. "These memories of Xion…they must be gone! Believe me, Roxas, it's for your own good!"

Roxas gasped, suddenly realizing what Namine was doing. "No!" he shouted, trying to pull himself off the ground. He managed to bring himself up on one knee. "I will NEVER forget Xion! NEVER!" With all the adrenalin he possessed inside of him, he pushed himself up.

Suddenly there was a noise that resembled the sound of a chain breaking, and the evil aura around Namine disappeared, and the wind ceased, leaving the white witch speechless.

"…No…" she managed to say. "It can't be…your soul…it's too strong!" Embarrassed by her failure, she raced off down the clock tower, tears streaming down her cheeks. _"It's not fair!"_ she thought. _"If not Sora, then why can't I have Roxas?"_

Roxas stood up tall on the clock tower, gazing out into the horizon. He felt a bit lightheaded but his feet felt so numb that he had no idea that he was standing up. "What just happened?" he asked himself slowly. "Xion…" he panted. "Where's my Xion?" At that moment, he collapsed.

* * *

Saix transported to his chair in Where Noting Gathers. Xemnas was the only other one there, sitting high on his chair. He seemed to be in deep thought.

"We're the only ones who remember," the superior mused. "Number XIII and I."

"Superior?" Saix asked, confused.

"The others remember bits and pieces, though they are unaware of it. So is this really worth keeping both keyblade masters?" He then turned his face to the window, gazing at the magnificent Kingdom Hearts. "Yes, it is. Soon, we will have hearts of our own."

Saix was now even more perplexed, but he said nothing. Sometimes the superior liked to talk to himself while others were in the room. _"He must know something we don't,"_ number VII thought.

"Even though half of them have met Namine before, they don't remember," Xemnas continued. "Even Namine herself doesn't remember why Sora is asleep. The traitors aren't traitorous anymore…and the friendship that made those two weak…now makes them even stronger."

"You mean number XIII and XIV?" Saix asked.

Xemnas looked up at number VII. "It is incredibly intricate and confounding. I'm somewhat regretting asking that apparition for assistance…but now, we _will_ complete Kingdom Hearts. Roxas had no reason to leave."

"Is that why you're letting this 'love' nonsense continue?" Saix inquired.

For once, Xemnas answered him. "It seems to strengthen them, so why not? We _need_ Kingdom Hearts. I will stop at nothing to complete them."


	25. Aftermath of the Attack

Chapter 25 – Aftermath of the Attack

Later that evening, Luxord, Xaldin, and Zexion were sitting on the couches in the Grey Room, discussing the day's events. Suddenly, Luxord took out his watch.

"It's exactly ten o'clock, gentlemen," the Gambler of Fate announced. "My hour. Come, sing me a song."

"Since when do we have to sing people songs every hour?" Xaldin asked, taking a cookie from the tray on the table.

Zexion looked up from his book. "Yes, that's not exactly fair to Roxas and Xion; they don't have hours."

Luxord sighed. "Fine, be that way," he said, dipping his cookie into his tea. He glanced over at Zexion who was buried in his book again, and then at Xaldin who was wiping crumbs off his facial hair. "Where is Xigbar? We need the evening gossip, not a bookworm!" he exclaimed, glaring at Zexion who had no inkling as to what was going on.

Xaldin looked up at Luxord. "He's still in his room with Demyx, no doubt. That boy can talk for hours."

"Who? Xigbar or Demyx?" Luxord asked, putting down his tea cup. "Xigbar sure has missed some Roxas and Xion juice. I think Demyx is stalling him on purpose."

"Well he succeeded," Xaldin grumbled. "Honestly, what could they be doing in there?"

* * *

"And then I said to grandma… 'Grandma,' I said…" Demyx was stilling lying on Xigbar's couch, making up the story of his life. Xigbar had gotten so bored that he was practically asleep, his head resting in his hands. Demyx smiled in satisfaction when he noticed that, and also when he noticed the time. _"Roxas and Xion should already be back by now," _number IX thought. _"My work here is done."_ "Xigbar!"

At the sound of his name, Xigbar quickly looked and began to jot down some notes. "Okay, Demyx, continue."

Demyx suddenly sat up, perky and wide awake. "Well, that's it!" he said. He was about to get off the couch when Xigbar pushed him down.

"Dude, you tell me all your problems and then you just walk away? I've got to get these notes to Vexen right away!" Xigbar said urgently.

Demyx cocked his head. "You think Vexen will be interested in my dream?" he asked innocently.

Xigbar froze. "Dream?" he asked, appalled.

"Yup, and what a crazy one that was!" the Melodious Nocturne exclaimed, standing up. "Well, thanks for chatting with me, Xig! Good night!" And with that, the little trickster left the room.

Xigbar rubbed his sore head with one hand, letting the notebook fall out of the other hand. "Ugh, the things I go through," he muttered, standing up. "It's already ten…I'm going to bed." Forgetting all about Roxas and Xion, Xigbar flopped down on his bed and fell asleep.

* * *

"_Something's wrong with Roxas. I thought you might know what's up. He says the keyblade wears him out now when he goes to use it. And suddenly I find myself fighting the same way he does…"_

"_Well, you know him better than me."_

"_Why…why would you say that?"_

"_Ask yourself what's doing it to him."_

"…_I'm not sure."_

"_Oh, you're not sure? What, did they forget to build you with common sense?"_

"…_.!"_

"_Oh, come on, don't look shocked. You already knew you're a replica. A puppet whose original purpose was to duplicate Roxas' powers. If he's getting weaker and you're getting stronger…Well, that just means you're borrowing a little more than you oughta be. "_

_

* * *

_

The sun rose over the hills and train tracks of Twilight Town, brightening up the sky. A faraway rooster's crow could be heard from the rural area. Atop the clock tower, Roxas lay fast asleep. He had passed out the previous evening, thus spending the night lying on the hard concrete.

"Roxas…Roxas…wake up, sleepy head…"

Roxas' lips curved into a grin at the sound of the oh-so-familiar voice. Such a sweet, syrupy, melodic voice. His eyes opened slowly, just to be greeted by the face of an angel. "Xion…" he muttered, blinking a couple times. "Am I dreaming?"

Xion leaned in for a short, tender kiss and then replied. "Nope, Roxas, I'm here."

At those words, Roxas sat up partway and scanned his surroundings. He found that Xion was lying right on top of him, a blanket covering them. He blinked several more times and tried to shake off the daze. "How?"

Xion giggled. "Roxy, you look so cute when you're sleepy," she said, resting her head against his chest. After a moment of peaceful silence, she explained everything. "Last night Marluxia forced me to pull weeds in his garden, so that's why I was late. By the time I left the castle, it was so dark and cold that I brought a blanket, which now I'm thankful that I did. But when I finally got up here you had fallen asleep, so I curled up with you under this blanket. That is okay with you, right?"

Roxas' smile grew wider. "Of course it's okay with me, Xi-Xi," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace. "I'm just so glad I remember you…"

If Xion hadn't felt so calm and relaxed in result of Roxas' touch, she would have been alarmed. "Mm?" she muttered, letting herself fall to the side of him so she wouldn't be crushing him. "What does that mean, Roxy?"

Roxas was about to respond when his eyes locked onto her shining azure gaze. "It doesn't matter," he replied in a whisper, pressing her closer to him. "Xion, I love you so much."

"I love you too," the girl replied tenderly, planting a sweet kiss upon his lips. "You mean everything to me."

"Yeah, and you mean everything to me, too, Xion," number XIII said, tightening his grip on her. He sighed peacefully, focusing on the warmth of Xion and the warmth of the blanket. "This is wonderful," he murmured. "And we're finally alone."

"Yup," Xion responded, grinning blissfully. "No Xigbar."

Roxas tried to pull himself even closer to Xion, finding that he was already face-to-face with the girl. He let out a content sigh and smacked his lips. "Did I ever tell you how soft you are?"

"Soft?" Xion asked, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this…" Roxas replied. He then suddenly pinned her against the clock tower wall, shielding her from all the cool breathes. At first she was startled, but when Roxas kissed her lightly on her forehead and whispered those three little words, she relaxed again.

And for a while, they were just content with lying there, curled up under the blanket. It was new to them, after all. Once in a while Roxas would mutter things like "I feel warmer than I did in the sand" or "You really are the softest thing in the world", but for the most part, it was silent.

Suddenly, Xion recalled the dream she had had. "Roxas…" she began slowly, sounding worried.

Surprised by the tone of Xion's voice, Roxas' eyes shot open. "Yeah, Xion? What is it?"

"How do you feel…when you fight?" number XIV asked slowly.

"When I fight?" Roxas asked, somewhat confused by the question. "Hm…like I usually do. Why?"

"You don't feel…weaker?" she inquired, concerned.

Roxas put his hand over Xion's and gently kissed her cheek. "Oh, you remember that now?" he asked softly.

Xion felt herself get goose-bumps at the touch of Roxas' lips on her cheek. Granted, this wasn't the first time at all his lips had made contact with her, but she savored every kiss. "Yes…I had a dream last night. It's all started to make sense, why I had to die that is. And your other, Sora, being asleep. Will I have to die again for him to wake up?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, Namine said…"

"Namine?" Xion exclaimed, interrupting him. "Since when were you talking to Namine?"

Roxas sighed. "I guess the moment is ruined, so I'll tell you. Last night when you didn't show up, Namine did instead. She probably had something to do with Marluxia deploying you. She…tried to persuade me into giving you up…" He noticed that they worry in her eyes increased. "She even offered to give me Sora's memories. But I refused. You mean much more to me than any memories. You are…Xion, you're my life."

Xion felt her eyes fill with tears. Trying to hide that, she buried her face in Roxas' coat, causing to boy to chuckle.

After gazing fondly at Xion for a few more moments, Roxas continued. "So after I refused…I don't know what came over her. She really did act like a witch. She tried to take my memories of you away from me…" He rubbed his head, recalling the pain he had felt. "She hurt me so…but she failed. She said my soul was too strong…"

Xion looked up at Roxas with the most saddened eyes. "Roxy…are you okay?"

Roxas gave her a gentle squeeze. "Aw, Xi-Xi, I'm fine," he reassured her. "You're the best thing to heal my wounds."

She giggled and lightly tickled him. "I really mean that much to you?" she asked him.

Roxas grinned. "Of course you do," he replied cheerfully. "You make me feel like I have a heart."

"You do too," Xion told him softly. "And after all you've been through, you deserve more rest. So sleep."

Roxas mumbled an 'okay' before closing his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "Are you jealous of Namine?"

Xion looked up, a bit startled by the question. But then her lips curved into a small smile. "No, of course not. There is no reason for me to be. You don't love her…"

Roxas nodded. "Yup," he agreed. "And there's no reason for me to be jealous of Riku, right?"

"Riku?" number XIV asked, confused. "Who's Riku?"

Roxas chuckled, giving her another light squeeze. "I guess not."

There was another stretch of silence. Only the chirping of the birds and the whistle of the train could be heard. Roxas and Xion were peacefully resting together, Roxas admiring how cute the sound of Xion's breathing was. He pressed another light kiss to her forehead and held it there for a while.

After another few minutes, Xion rested her head against his chest. _"No heartbeat," _she thought, somewhat disappointed. "Roxas, do we really need hearts?"

Roxas opened his eyes and gazed upon Xion's confused expression. "Well…yeah…I think…"

"But why?" the girl asked. "We apparently can feel without hearts, so what's the point of even beating our brains out defeating Heartless?"

Roxas gave some thought on the matter before responding. He too was puzzled, for now it was just ever the more complicated. "I don't know, Xion, I really don't…maybe we can feel emotions stronger with hearts…"

Xion let out a content sigh, rubbing her nose against Roxas' jacket. "I don't know what could be stronger than this," she murmured, breathing in Roxas' scent. "Roxy, you smell salty."

The boy let out a light laugh. "You're funny, Xi-chan." He planted another kiss on the top of her head, reveling in the smooth texture of her raven hair.

* * *

Axel sat on one of the couches in the Grey Room, a cup of coffee in one hand and a stack of magazines in his lap. He turned the last page of _The Pyro Digest _and set it aside. He then picked up the next magazine from the stack, which happened to be _The Xigbar Daily_. When he read the headline, coffee came flying out of his mouth, landing right on top of the cover picture. It was then that Larxene walked over.

"Hey Axey," the sadist greeted, taking a seat next to him. "What are you reading?" She peered over his outstretched arm to see that _The Xigbar Daily_ had a coffee stain, right on top of Demyx's face. "Hey, I know Demyx is annoying, but he's not as annoying as the others. Spit on them instead…_especially _Marluxia."

Axel shook off his daze, just realizing that Larxene was there. "Oh, no, I'm just surprised that Demyx is the topic of Xigbar's magazine for once," the Flurry of Dancing Flames explained, eyeing the headline which read "The Dirt on Demyx."

Larxene nodded. "Hey, Ax, didn't you say yesterday that Demyx was going to distract Xigbar to give Roxas and Xion some time alone?"

"Oh yes!" Axel remembered. "Probably Demyx was the only thing he could do today's story on since he missed those two. Well I guess that's good."

Larxene let out a laugh. "Boy, I wonder how Demyx will react to this," she said, taking the magazine from Axel. "It says here, 'when Demyx's other was a boy, he used to rent out his waterproof bicycle to those who want to eat salad on it.' That's a laugh!"

Axel too started to laugh. "Wow, Demyx sure has an imagination, doesn't he? We could use him in our anti-Xigbar team." He then looked up at the clock. "Hm…I wonder where Roxas and Xion could be…"

Seated around one of the small secluded tables in the breakfast hall were Marluxia and Namine. Both were silent, for Namine refused to speak ever since she returned from Twilight Town the previous evening. Marluxia was very curious as to what had happened, but he had a feeling it didn't go well. After about ten more minutes in silence, the Graceful Assassin decided to ask.

"Namine, tell me what happened. We'll be able to come up with another plan, don't worry," Marluxia said.

Namine looked up and met his gaze. Her eyes were red and saddened; she obviously had been crying a lot the previous night. Marluxia actually felt himself having pity on her. After another moment of silence, the girl in white responded. "I…told him that if he wanted Sora's memories…he would need to get rid of his memories of Xion…He refused."

Marluxia nodded. "Continue."

"I-I don't know what then came over me," she began, choking on her tears. "I was so filled with anger and hatred. I…I tried to take Roxas' memories of Xion by force…I hurt him badly…but it didn't work! His soul was too strong, it wouldn't release those memories! It wouldn't!" She then burst out into tears.

Marluxia was somewhat shocked by Namine's report. "So…our plan failed?" he asked, stroking his chin 'Aragorn-style'. "Removing Xion from his soul won't work apparently…"

Namine shook her head pitifully. "No," she muttered.

Marluxia then stood up and started to walk past her. When he came to her, he stopped and put a hand on her shoulder. "This may take some time, but I _will_ think up another plan. So hang in there, Namine."


	26. Starting Off the Day

Chapter 26 – Starting Off the Day

Xigbar emerged from his room and started down the hall, grouchy and disgruntled. As he passed, dusks and Nobodies alike would stop and stare, acting as if a monster was lurking. However, this morning, his temper was nothing short of monster-like. As he proceeded to the Grey Room, he muttered bitterly to himself.

"I can't believe I let Demyx trick me. I probably missed a perfect story! Poppet and kiddo haven't returned yet, who knows what wild things they could be doing!" the Freeshooter exclaimed.

"Pervert," a passing-by Dusk commented.

Not even looking to see who had spoken, Xigbar swung around and shot his Arrowguns, obliterating the dusk. "That Demyx will pay, I'll see to that," he said, continuing on. "I could have had a master of a story! Maybe even got some award, like the Gossiper of the Year! But no, instead I had to write about the time Demyx's puppy buried his grandma's slipper next to David Bowie's grave! Though…I don't think that dude is even dead!" He had been talking to himself so much that he hadn't realized that he had arrived in the Grey Room. He turned his head just in time to see a flash of a blue sitar behind one of the couches. A smirk appeared on his face as he walked over to the couch. "I see you Demyx," he said.

There was a moment of silence before number II heard a squeaky voice say "No one here besides us dust bunnies!"

"Dust bunnies?" came an appalled voice. Luxord walked over to the couch, a duster in his hand. "I'll have you know, I just cleaned this couch, and there isn't a single dust bunny I haven't eliminated!"

Xigbar smirked with satisfaction. "Busted."

"Darn," Demyx said. He stood up and revealed himself. "Um…hey…Xigbar…"

Xigbar furrowed his eyebrows. "Demyx…you…made…me…miss…" he began in a low tone of voice.

Demyx knew that messing with Xigbar would mean big consequences, even though he was his friend. He started to panic, his mind overflowing with possible punishments. _"Twenty years in prison without my sitar or David Bowie CDs? Front row tickets to a Hannah Montana concert? Going on a blind date with his grandma? Eating soup out of the same…can?" _He had to act fast. "Uh…look! Larxene and Axel are eating breakfast together!" He pointed over to the couches where indeed Axel and Larxene sat.

At the mention of a possible new gossip topic, Xigbar turned his head toward the other couches. Now was Demyx's time to escape! The Melodious Nocturne flew out of the Grey Room as fast as he could, making everyone who saw him think he had had too much cheese.

"Hey get back here!" Xigbar exclaimed. But Demyx was already out of site. The Freeshooter let out a groan and walked up to Axel and Larxene. "Hey…you two _have_ been hanging out recently, haven't you?"

Axel quickly put his coffee down a scooted away from Larxene a bit. "We were discussing…the international situation," he fibbed.

"As if," Xigbar said, not believing him. "You aren't falling for that love junk like Poppet and kiddo, are you?"

Larxene shook her head quickly, trying to think of something that was 'in character' for her to say. "Ew, like no way! Love is stupid! Pain is what matters! Pain! Pain!"

"Sadist," Axel mumbled. "Yeah, we're much too smart for that childish stuff. We're just…colleagues. Got it memorized?"

Xigbar looked at them for a minute, trying to decide whether or not to believe it. "…All right, whatever. So have Poppet and kiddo come back from Twilight Town yet?"

Axel shook his head. "No they haven't." His expression then became suspicious. "Do you have anything to do with this?"

Xigbar shook his head. "Nope, for once, I don't." He then glanced away for a second. "But I'm about to." The Freeshooter opened the dark corridor and disappeared before Axel or Larxene could stop him.

"I hope he finds them, but I hope he doesn't hurt them," Axel said, staring at the empty place that the dark corridor once stood.

Larxene slammed her fist into the palm of her hand. "If he does, he'll pay!"

* * *

Xion had dozed off a couple times during the time that had elapsed, but Roxas remained awake, gazing contently at the sleeping girl. He touched the back of her head gently and said to himself, "Hm, I wonder where her ribbon is…"

At that moment, Xion opened her eyes sleepily, being reminded that she was face to face with him. The warmth of his body sent a tingle up her spine as she realized she was in his arms. She made a soft murmur as people do when they're first awakened.

"Hey, you, awake again?" he asked, chuckling. Number XIII reached under her chin and gave it a little tickle, causing her to squeal a bit. "Xi-Xi, _you're_ the one who's cute when sleepy."

"Roxy…" she began, breathing in the morning air. "I really do hope you're all right…"

Roxas flashed one of his adorable grins. "Of course I'm all right, Xion! I'm with you, aren't I?" He only had to lean in a tiny bit before he locked lips with her, saying what else he was meaning to say through the kiss. Xion instantly closed her eyes, thoroughly enjoying the contact. After a few more moments, Roxas hesitantly ended it.

"Roxas…" Xion began, meeting his gaze. "I feel so close to you right now…and not just physically. I…I never knew Nobodies were capable of such emotion."

"Neither did I," Roxas replied, soothingly rubbing her back. "But apparently it's possible."

Xion nodded, and for a few moments, it was silent. Her mind was swirling with thoughts; one in particular was bugging her. "Roxas…does it disturb you…that I'm a replica?"

Roxas looked up, somewhat startled by the question. He had always thought the answer was obvious. "Of course not, Xion! I've told you many times; to me you're not a replica! You're Xion! And you're…mine." He tightened his grip around her. "Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Especially Namine."

"Namine actually hasn't confronted me yet," Xion realized. "But I'll be on the lookout."

"Good girl," Roxas said, kissing the top of her head. "Oh, that reminds me…" He reached for his pocket, which wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do when you're that close to a person. When he finally managed to do so, he took out the flyer that the man had handed him yesterday. "Look Xion. I've won two tickets for the movie theater tomorrow. Do you wanna go with me?"

Number XIV looked a little surprised at the sudden proposal, but she was excited at the same time. "I've never been to the movie theater before…" she began.

"Neither have I," Roxas told her. "That's what'll make it more fun! Please please please go with me! I'll kiss you ten million times if you do!" As he waited for her response, he put the flyer back in his pocket for safekeeping.

Xion giggled. "Of course, Roxy, you don't have to beg! I'll go with you anywhere!" She started to playfully tickle his midsection. "We'll have to ask Axel first, I mean we don't want to hurt his feelings…"

"Definitely," Roxas agreed. Suddenly he noticed that Xion had been tickling him, and he started to squirm. "Hey, Xion, quit it!"

"No!" Xion replied through laughter, continuing the tickling. "Make me!"

All of a sudden, Roxas tightened his grip around her even more and pulled her up against him. "Oh I will," he said in a whisper. A chill ran down Xion's body at the tone of Roxas' voice. She was waiting anxiously for his next move when suddenly an all-too-familiar voice was heard.

"Well, well, well, Poppet and kiddo. You've outdone yourselves this time, really." The two quickly stood up to see Xigbar appear from around the corner. Their faces immediately turned a bright shade of red. "And this time you have no right to be angry at me for spying – you stayed here overnight and I came looking for you. Not invading your territory at all. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"There's any easy explanation to all of this!" Xion spoke up. "Namine…" The girl suddenly realized she was talking to Mr. Gossip himself, so she shut up.

Xigbar raised an eyebrow. "Yes? What about Namine?"

"She meant to say Marluxia!" Roxas interrupted. "Easy mistake. You see, Marluxia gave her gardening detail yesterday evening so she couldn't come to the clock tower right away. By the time she finally got here, I fell asleep waiting for her."

There was a moment of silence; Roxas and Xion had their fingers crossed. "Then why didn't you just wake him up and go back to the castle, Poppet?" number II inquired. "Even though that isn't as juicy."

"Well…" Xion began, trying to think up an excuse.

"Give it up," Xigbar said. "I've heard enough false stories for two days. The truth was: you wanted to try sleeping with him, right? To see how it felt to be under that blanket with him, so close to him…"

The blush on Xion's face deepened. "Well…" she said quietly. "Maybe…"

"But is there anything wrong with that?" Roxas asked, defending her.

Xigbar crossed his arms and leaned back against the tower. "No, but there could have been," he told them. "But we Nobodies don't have that kind of instinct, so be thankful."

Roxas and Xion exchanged confused glances. "What are you rambling about?" number XIII asked.

"Rambling? As if," Xigbar said with a shrug.

Roxas looked up at the man for a minute, but then turned away. The glare of the Freeshooter's yellow eye made him nervous. He instead picked up the blanket and returned it to Xion. The moment of awkward silence was interrupted when Xigbar spoke again.

"You two should be _really_ grateful I'm not going to report this naughty behavior," he said, pointing both index fingers at the two. "I'm letting you off with a warning this time. And besides, I know you two will do something sometime today that'll make for a juicy story."

The two looked nervously at the ground, wondering how to respond. "Thanks…" Xion said quietly. "Because I probably wouldn't even understand those big words you would use to pervert this."

Xigbar chuckled. "Probably not, Poppet. Well, I think you should RTC now and get ready for your mission."

Roxas let out a sigh. "And the morning was going so well…" he muttered. He then started down the tower, Xion following behind.

As number XIV walked past Xigbar, the Freeshooter reached out and spanked her on the rear. She let out a yelp, causing Roxas to immediately turn around.

Xigbar just laughed. "That was for the naughty things you do, Poppet."

Xion continued on her way slowly, feeling ashamed. Roxas stopped and glared angrily at him. "Don't EVER hurt my Xion!" he exclaimed.

Roxas' tone of voice just amused number II more. "Hurt? As if. You're the one that's going to hurt her… with this love junk. Take my advice and forget it. Nobodies can't love."

* * *

After Xigbar accompanied Xion and Roxas back to the castle, number XIII and XIV waited for their missions to be assigned. They had their fingers crossed, hoping that they would be together, as Saix read off the mission roster.

"Today," said number VII. "Everyone is going to work in pairs, except one will have to go solo, because of Marluxia being excused from duties." There were a few moans among the members because they knew the one who went solo would have to do double the work. "I will now read off the missions. Xaldin and Lexaeus: your mission is to track down an unknown Heartless in Beast's Castle." The two burly Nobodies idly started to get their gear together. "Luxord and Xigbar will be sent to Wonderland to defeat all six Pink Concertos."

"Piece of cake," Xigbar remarked, collecting a few potions. He then let out a groan, noticing where his partner was. "Luxord, don't gamble Moogle for potions! Just buy some and let's go!"

Saix's face remained emotionless and he continued on. "Zexion and Axel are being sent to Twilight Town to track down the Tailbunker."

"C'mon, emo kid," Axel said with a smirk. Zexion just rolled his eyes, picked up his Lexicon, and followed the Flurry of Dancing Flames through the dark corridor.

Saix cleared his throat before he read off the next team. "Larxene and Roxas are going to Neverland to eliminate Heartless and collect hearts."

Roxas glanced over at Larxene. _"Oh boy, I hope she's as nice as Axel says she is…"_ he thought apprehensively as he watched the Savage Nymph equip herself with magic.

"Xion and Vexen are going to perform a recon at the Olympus Coliseum," number VII announced.

"A mission with the replica," Vexen mused. "Could prove to be quite useful in my experiments." His train of thought was interrupted when he felt someone tugging on his sleeve. He looked down to see Roxas standing there.

"Take good care of her and don't let her get hurt!" Roxas instructed.

Vexen let out a laugh. "Number XIII? Ordering around number IV? I'll do what I want!"

At that, Roxas summoned his keyblade. "Don't let her get hurt!" he repeated, this time with more anger in his voice. "Unless you want a keyblade imprint in your head!"

Vexen responded with another laugh. "How could she get hurt on a recon unless she tripped over her own feet?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"You could bore her to death with your boring lectures!" Roxas retorted. "So just watch it!" He then left to get ready for his own mission.

At that moment, a horrible thought came into Demyx's head. "Wait a sec…everyone else has a partner…so does that mean…I'M GOING ALONE?"

"And Demyx will have no partner on his Heartless mission to Halloween Town," Saix finished, putting down his clipboard.

"Heartless indeed," Demyx muttered. "He knows I'm not cut out for that kind of thing! I'm not a fighter, I'm a pacifier!" His eyes scanned the room in a panicked sort of way. "Xigbar! Help me!"

Xigbar already had one foot in the dark corridor as he looked back at Demyx. "Heh, no way," Xigbar replied. "You're getting what you deserve." And with that, he disappeared.

Demyx looked around the room again, becoming even more anxious. "Who else is my friend…Zexion?" But there was no reply. Zexion had already left. "Hm…Roxas!" He threw himself at Roxas' feet. "Buddy you've gotta help me! I don't want to go alone! Especially to Halloween Town! I'm afraid of ghosts!"

Roxas gave Demyx a weird look. "Well…" he began. Suddenly he met Saix's gaze, which seemed to say 'if you help him out you'll never see your precious Xion again'. He picked up his potions and headed for the dark corridor. "Sorry, I can't help you."

Demyx was really starting to get anxious. He flew over to Xion just when she was about to follow Vexen through the dark corridor. "Please, Xion, you're my only hope!" he wailed. But before the Melodious Nocturne could do any more pleading, Xion was pulled away by Vexen. That was when he realized that he was alone in the room, save Saix. As Saix gave him a stern glare, he felt himself shrink. "Um…I have to go potty…" Without waiting for Saix to say another word, he rushed away.

As number IX ran down the halls, he formulated a plot for getting out of his assigned mission. "Hmm…well…I could drop a safe on Saix…nah, too messy. I could change the name on the roster. But…that would be hard to do and everyone else has already left. Hmm…hmm…" He was so busy trying to think that he almost ran over Namine. As Namine let out a shriek, he immediately stopped. "Oh, sorry, Namine! I didn't see you!"

"It's all right," Namine sighed, trying to regain her composure.

There was an awkward moment of silence in the halls, each trying to think of something to say. "So…" Demyx began. "Where's Marly?"

"Marluxia? Oh, he's out in his garden," Namine replied. "Trying to think up a pla- er…something. He doesn't want to be disturbed."

Demyx nodded. "Oh, well what are you going to do?" he asked.

Namine thought for a moment. "Just walk around I guess," she shrugged.

"Hmm…" Demyx mused. "Hey! Wanna play a game?"

"I'm not a kid, Demyx," Namine replied, laughing a bit.

"I know…" Demyx said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "But you always look so lonely and I thought maybe you need a friend…"

At that, a small tear formed in the corner of Namine's eye. She wished Roxas was the one who had said that to her. "Well…we could both walk around I guess," she suggested, trying to sound optimistic.

"Great!" Demyx cheered, a smile appearing on his face. The two started to walk down the hall. "So…I'm sorry things didn't work out with Roxas…"

Namine sighed, getting a pain in her chest. "It may…" she said softly.

"Well, Xion got to him first," Demyx said with a shrug. "Those two are pretty cute together. But poor things, they have to go through a lot of red tape because they're the first Nobody couple. I wish I could play them a lullaby on my sitar…"

Namine let out another sigh, trying to hide her disgust. "They won't be for long," she muttered.

"Huh?" Demyx asked.

Namine looked up. "Nothing," she told him quickly.

There was a moment of silence before Demyx spoke again. "Maybe you could try to be their friend…" he began. That immediately got the white witch's attention. "They would want to be your friends, I bet."

She shook her head rapidly. "No, I don't want to be their friend. I…I want Roxas…"

Demyx blinked a couple times. "Well…I read that in Xigbar's magazine but I didn't know it was true. Well…good luck I guess…" He was about to say more when a booming voice was heard.

"DEMYX!" Saix yelled.

The Melodious Nocturne immediately picked up his pace. "Gaah! Well, see you later, Namine!" He then headed for his room. When he got there, he flopped down on his bed and thought. "Hm…how can I get out of this?" His eyes wandered to a tissue box he had lying around; an idea hit him. "I know! I'll play sick! The schoolboy's classic excuse!" He hopped off his head and removed his coat, revealing his water-droplet-studded pajamas. He then strewn some tissues about his bed and got under the covers. When the expected knock was heard, he answered in a miserable voice. "Come in…"

Saix opened the door and was shocked to see what he found. "Why are you in bed, number IX?" he asked.

Demyx faked a cough. "Is that you, puppy? I don't feel too good," he lied. "My nose is all stuffed and runny at the same time…and…oh, I didn't know you had a twin…"

Saix sighed. "I know you're just acting, Demyx. Come, get out of bed and head to Halloween Town."

"Now there are triplets," Demyx said weakly, squinting his eyes. "What a big family you have."

Saix scratched his chin, not sure what to think. _"Hmm…"_ he thought. _"Maybe he isn't faking…Wait, I have the perfect test. Demyx never likes to have his sitar touched." _He reached over and ran his finger down the strings of the instrument. "Number IX, do you mind if I play?"

At the sight of his sitar being touched, number IX cringed. "Um…sure…but please do it outside. I don't want my headache to worsen."

Saix grumbled and walked to the door. "I'll have to see what the superior thinks." With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Whew," Demyx said, relieved. "That was a close one. Now when ol' Xemny gets here, my breath will smell so bad that he won't be able to check my throat." He reached under his bed and took out a couple chili peppers, some garlic, a bowl of buckwheat, and some pickles. "This is going to be great!"


	27. The Deaths That Never Were

Chapter 27 – The Deaths That Never Were

The bright tropical sun shown down on Neverland as Roxas and Larxene exited the dark corridor. It was the perfect weather for hunting heartless.

Larxene stopped and stretched out her fingers. "So, Roxas, you ready for this?" she asked.

Roxas, who had been staring down at his feet, looked up. "Huh? Oh, uh, sure, I guess," he replied, uncertain as to exactly what number XII meant.

"Good," Larxene commented. "Just making sure your affiliation with Xion hasn't softened your fighting style." She slammed her fist against the palm of her hand. "I know my affiliation with Axel hasn't softened me up with those Heartless."

Roxas let out a sigh and began to walk ahead, Larxene following him. "I wish Xion was here," he said wistfully, kicking a small stone out of his path. "She really wants to fly. The only time we missioned here together I had to pass out…"

"Well that's what you get when you're weak," the Savage Nymph remarked.

Roxas looked back at the ground. _"It wasn't my fault,"_ he thought. _"These flashbacks I keep having are confusing."_ Suddenly a thought came to mind. "Larxene…do you ever get this feeling…that things aren't right?"

Larxene looked down at the boy, somewhat startled by the question. "Things aren't right? Well what is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," Roxas began. "Do you ever have weird dreams or visions or voices in your head?"

"Of course no-" But suddenly Larxene stopped.

"_No…No! I refuse to lose to such a bunch of losers! I think I'm…I'm fading? No, this isn't the way I…won't allow!"_

After hearing what sounded like her own voice, Larxene blinked a few times. "I don't remember saying that…" she muttered.

"Larxene?" number XIII asked. "Did you go to Castle Oblivion before?"

"Of course," Larxene replied softly, somewhat dazed. She wracked her brain, trying to remember the facts. "Sora…after countless battles…we couldn't defeat him. There was this one girl we used…but…I don't remember who she was. Or why we used her…There was also a replica. He…was eliminated."

This perked Roxas' interest. "A replica?" he asked. "You mean Xion wasn't the only replica?"

Larxene shook her head weakly, a wave of confusion washing over her. "Yes…there was one. But that girl…urg, it seemed like just yesterday. I know I used to remember her…but now I have no idea. What's gotten into me?"

"Maybe Axel would know," Roxas suggested. "He went to Castle Oblivion also."

The Savage Nymph nodded, trying to make the dizziness stop. "Okay then. After our mission I'll ask Axel. Now c'mon, we can't have two dizzy Nobodies try to defeat Heartless. Fighting is exactly what'll get me back into action. So, c'mon, let's go!" And with surprising gusto, Larxene led the hunt for Heartless.

* * *

"And over here we have a golden statue," Vexen said, running his fingers along the brightly-colored sculpture. "It seems as if it has been crafted centuries ago!"

"As does the rest of this place," Xion muttered, dragging behind the relic-happy scientist. "Please can we go inside and finish up this recon? It's getting hot out here!"

Vexen crossed his arms stubbornly and looked away. "I do not see how you don't find this place utterly fascinating! I could spend weeks studying just the outside!"

A typical recon with Vexen. Xion had heard rumors about how boring he was and how to never let Saix stick you with Vexen for a recon, especially not to some place like Olympus Coliseum, but she thought they were exaggerating. Now she finally understood.

"_This man's mouth won't stop flapping!" _number XIV thought. _"It's like a flag during a hurricane! I hope it falls off…"_

"Number XIV, look!" Vexen gasped suddenly. Xion quickly rushed up to him, detecting the sense of urgency in his voice. Vexen ran his hand along the wall. "Look at these markings! They must be thousands of years old!"

Xion rolled her eyes. "Are you done yet?" she asked impatiently.

"Never!" the scientist replied, appalled. "One must never rush science." He took out some measuring tape and started to take the measurements of the wall.

"This isn't science, it's archeology!" Xion exclaimed.

"How that boy Roxas can stand you I'll never know," Vexen muttered, walking over to the other side of the lot. Xion followed him, hoping he was going to open the dark corridor. Much to her dismay, he didn't.

Vexen pressed his nose against the west wall. "That's funny," he said in a low voice. "Smells like salt." He stuck out his tongue and licked the hard surface.

Xion made a disgusted face. "You've just convinced me never to become a scientist," she stated.

"You're doing a pretty good amount of talking yourself, _replica_," Vexen muttered, scribbling down some notes.

At that, Xion let out a sigh and looked down at the ground. "Don't call me that," she mumbled.

Number IV looked up from his clipboard and laughed. "Well it's true! You're just a little replica of your 'boyfriend', created by the nuisance Sora's memories. Why, the Riku replica was more fun than you."

Xion looked up suddenly. "Riku? Roxas mentioned him before. Who is Riku?"

Vexen shrugged and started to walk further down along the wall. "A nuisance, just like Sora. Even though the Riku replica did fail, it proved most enlightening." Before Xion could say anything more, he changed the subject. "Ah yes, now we can test your skills. What is that?" He pointed to a bucket that sat at the foot of one of the statues.

"A bucket?" Xion guessed, not sure why Vexen was asking her such a simple question.

"No!" Vexen exclaimed, the volume of his voice startling Xion quite a bit. "Not just a bucket! It's their primary way of transporting water! And with the games they hold here, it is VERY vital! Now pay more attention!"

"Yes, sir," the girl replied unenthusiastically.

They wandered around the outside for a bit longer, Vexen always murmuring incoherently to himself. After a bit of thought, Xion decided to ask the Chilly Academic something.

"Vexen…" number XIV began. "Are you supposed to be alive?"

Vexen looked at her, shocked. "Why of course! What makes you ask such a ridiculous question as that?"

"Roxas said the C.O. team died," she replied quietly.

"Well then he must be blind and deaf! Because here we are, alive as ever!" Vexen exclaimed, offended. "The nerve of him! He probably just doesn't like me. And I wasn't going to write him off as a complete idiot too in my report to the superior. Well-" Suddenly he stopped.

"_No! Please don't! I don't want to-"_

"_Good bye."_

The Chilly Academic's eyes grew wide and he shuddered. "Wh-whose voice did I just hear? It sounded…all whiny and scared…"

Xion shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "I didn't hear anything."

Vexen tried to shrug it off. "Oh, it was probably nothing. Come, let's finish this recon."

After snooping about the exterior for a while, Vexen finally decided that it was time to enter the building. But when he got to the doors and peered in, he stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" Xion asked, confused.

"Hush!" number IV hissed, putting a finger to his lips. "There's someone in there!"

"So?" Xion asked, taking a step forward. But Vexen pulled her back.

"We're not supposed to interact with the people in these worlds!" the scientist exclaimed in a loud whisper.

Xion thought for a moment. "Okay…so…what are we going to do?"

Vexen shrugged. "RTC I guess. What else can we do?" He let out a sigh and looked through the notepaper on his clipboard. "This should be enough to satisfy the superior. Come then, let's go."

Xion let out a sigh of relief as she followed Vexen to the dark corridor. "Finally."

Before Vexen entered the portal, he stopped and turned around. "The superior is still going over the report I made on you and Roxas' relationship. You better keep your fingers crossed."

Xion said nothing, not knowing what to say. She wondered if Vexen was for them or against them. Scientifically, her relationship with Roxas was incorrect. But so was Columbus' theory on the world being round until he proved it to be right. Maybe all she needed to do was wait.

* * *

Axel sat on the clock tower, watching the sunset while licking his sea salt ice cream. His mission had ended so early that he had wandered about aimlessly around the castle for a bit before heading back over to Twilight Town. "I wonder what Marluxia is up to," he mused, remembering the suspicious-looking expression on the Graceful Assassin's face. "And why does Namine want Roxas so badly? And where were Roxas and Xion last night?" So many questions were left unanswered for the Flurry of Dancing Flames. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and he turned around to see Xion standing there. "Hey," he greeted. "Cop a seat."

Xion came up beside him, ice cream in hand, and took a seat in her usual place. Before she could say anything, Axel spoke.

"How was your mission with blabbermouth Vexen?" number VIII asked.

There was a moment of silence before Xion replied. "It was horrible to tell the truth. I still have a headache from his lectures." She rubbed her sore temples with her free hand.

"Don't worry, Roxas will avenge you," Axel said with a chuckle.

Xion smiled fondly at the mention of her best friend. "Yeah…good old Roxas." She took a bite into her ice cream.

At that moment, Roxas and Larxene arrived. They took their seats; Roxas in between Axel and Xion, and Larxene on the other side of Axel.

As soon as Larxene was seated, Axel wrapped an arm around her. "Larxy," he murmured, pressing his nose against her cheek.

Immediately Larxene's face turned red, and it grew even redder when she noticed Roxas and Xion staring at them. "Axel, no, stop," she scolded, scooting away.

Axel let out a laugh. "Heh, whatever, you Savage Nymph." He then turned to the two younger Nobodies who looked at him with confused expressions. "That's what makes Larxene different from normal girls." He then patted Xion on the shoulder. "Take my advice and don't pick her for a role model, Xion. Roxas already has it tough as it is."

"Hey!" Larxene protested, shoving Axel with her elbow.

"What?" Axel exclaimed. "I don't think Roxas would want to be stabbed in the back with knives every time he hugged Xion!"

Roxas shot number VIII and XII a weird look. "She does that to you, Axel?" he asked.

Axel shrugged. "Only on Tuesdays and bank holidays."

"Darn, today's Wednesday," Larxene muttered as she took out her ice cream.

There was a moment of only silence and ice cream eating as the four Nobodies watched the sun set. At length, Roxas spoke.

"Why does Xigbar keep insisting that Nobodies can't love? I mean, aren't we four living proof that we can?" number XIII asked, sighing inwardly.

Axel placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Believe what you want to," he encouraged him. "No one can define you. You can be whoever you want to be. If Xemnas wants to be emotionless, then let him." He then paused, trying to decide what to say next. "We Nobodies used to say that our memories of when we had hearts made us who we are. That is until we met you two. You didn't have memories of before; and yet…you had personalities. So that got to me wondering if this thing about Nobodies needing a heart to feel emotions was valid or not."

Roxas looked up at the Flurry of Dancing Flames. "So you mean I should just ignore Xigbar and the others and keep on believing that we can feel? You really think I should do that?"

Axel smiled genuinely. "Of course. Now go give that sad little girl over there a hug." He pointed to Xion who had been staring down at her ice cream.

Roxas' eyes brightened up as he turned to Xion with outstretched arms. "Xion?" he asked softly.

Xion looked up at him and smiled. "Roxas," she giggled, accepting his hug. She carefully wrapped her arms around him, making sure her ice cream didn't touch him.

"Ooh, free ice cream," Axel said, reaching for the pop in Xion's hand. But before he could take it, Larxene slapped his hand.

"That's not nice!" Larxene scolded. "Can't you see they're having a tender moment?"

"Yay, nice Larxy!" Axel cheered childishly, clapping his hands. Larxene just rolled her eyes and faced the sunset again.

After number XIII and XIV broke from their embrace, there was a pause before the subject was changed. Usually the clock tower ice cream time was where they let out things that were on their minds - and boy were there some issues tonight.

"Sometimes I wish I had a higher number like Vexen or Xigbar or something," Xion sighed, looking down at her half-eaten ice cream.

Axel looked up. "Why? They're just as normal of a Nobody as we are. We all put our pants on the same way."

"Yeah, upside-down and backwards," Roxas added with a snicker. This caused Xion to laugh.

Larxene looked over at the replica. "Don't worry about it, Xion. I'm number XII and I get respect from the others." She slammed her fist against the palm of her hand with a grin.

"That's my Larxy," Axel said fondly, wrapping an arm around the Savage Nymph.

Roxas and Xion watched Larxene and Axel struggle – Larxene trying to get out of Axel's grasp and Axel trying to maintain his grasp - for a few more moments before number XIII spoke. "I hope we go back to Agrabah soon."

Xion nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too. I sure would like to shed a little light on this mystery."

Larxene tilted her head, confused. "Huh? What are you talking about?" she asked.

Axel rested his hand on hers. "Don't worry, when we get everything sorted, you'll be the first to know," he assured her.

Larxene eyed in suspiciously, not too satisfied with the answer. "Okay…?"

Axel held his ice cream, tilting it a bit, as his hands rested in his lap. He brought the stick to his lips and ate the remaining chunk of salty-sweet goodness before tossing the stick aside. "Well since it's sharing time, I might as well share my tribulations." The other three looked up and gave them their full attention. "Zexion is a horrible mission partner."

"Oh really?" number XII asked curiously. Being finished with her ice cream also, she placed her hands on Axel's shoulders and began to massaging him. "Tell us about it."

"I'll only accept that massage if you use fingers, not knives," Axel told Larxene impassively.

"Of course, Pyro," Larxene responded, continuing with the massage.

Axel sighed with relief and folded his hands together. "Okay, so you guys won't believe this, but here it is anyways. Zexion and I were walking through Tram Commons while hunting Heartless and we happened to pass by a bookstore. In the window there was a sign that read 'Encyclopedias- buy one get one free". Of course Zexion was intrigued so he went into the shop. I didn't see him do so, so I engaged in a battle with Heartless thinking he would back me up."

"Oooh," Roxas said. "Is that why you have that scratch on your face?"

Axel nodded, gazing out into the sunset. "Yup. The other wounds are hidden."

Larxene paused the massage for a moment. "Oh those Heartless!" she exclaimed, an evil look in her eyes. "They should know I'm the only one allowed to scratch the Flurry of Dancing Flames!" She then continued with the rubdown.

"Well thanks," Axel said dryly. "So how was your mission, Larx and Rox?"

"Those Heartless didn't stand a chance," Larxene told him proudly.

Number VIII looked over to see if Roxas had anything to say, but the boy just nodded. "And I know I already asked this before, but how was your mission with Vexen, Xion?"

Xion stopped in mid-lick and took her ice cream away from her lips. "Oh, it was awful," she said in disgust. "That man wouldn't stop talking! We spend the whole recon outside of the coliseum!"

"Oh, that must be tough," Roxas remarked, finishing his ice cream. "Did he hurt you?"

"Just my ears," number XIV replied. She then looked around and realized she was the only person who had yet to finish her ice cream, so she took another bite. "Oh, but he did say that he gave the report he made of his examination to Xemnas and that we should have our fingers crossed."

A worried expression came across Roxas' face. "Oh…I hope nothing goes wrong."

"Don't worry," Axel said, patting him on the back. "As long as it doesn't affect your mission status, you're a-okay." He then turned to Larxene. "How high did you fill your mission gauge?"

Larxene stopped the massage the stretched her fingers. "To the top, and then some," she replied pompously.

Axel looked back to Roxas. "You're in the clear," he reassured him.

Roxas nodded, though he wasn't exactly comforted.

After a moment of silence, Larxene looked over at number XIII and XIV suspiciously. "Hey you two…" the Savage Nymph began. "Where were you last night?"

At the sudden recollection of the past events, both Roxas' and Xion's face turned crimson. Axel let out a laugh. "Oh ho ho, you're blushing! It must have been something good! Tell us about it!"

"Well…" Roxas began uncomfortably. "How it started out wasn't so good. Xion and I were supposed to meet at the clock tower, but Marluxia gave Xion gardening to do. I think Marluxia and Namine are in cahoots, because Namine soon arrived here."

"Uh oh," Axel commented. "This can't be good."

"It wasn't," Roxas agreed. "The nerve of her! She tried to get me into forgetting Xion by giving me Sora's memories! But I don't care about those memories! Xion means much more to me than any of that!" He heard a sniffle, causing him to look in Xion's direction. That is when he noticed the Nobody was crying. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Aw, Xion, what's wrong?"

Xion wiped her eyes with her gloved hands. "Nothing," she replied, trying not to tremble. "I…I'm just so happy that I mean that much to you!"

Roxas leaned over and gave Xion a quick kiss on the cheek. He tried to hold himself back from doing other things because Axel and Larxene were watching intently; he could feel their eyes on him. "I'm happy too, Xion. I'm happy that I can be happy." He then resumed his original position. "So yeah, after I refused, she actually tried to erase my memories of Xion! But she couldn't! She said my soul was too strong and then she ran away!"

Axel and Larxene blinked a few times, baffled. "Wow…I never knew Namine could be capable of such evil," Larxene remarked.

"Yeah…" Axel mused. "So she seems to have the power over memories…where have I heard that before?" Suddenly a voice came into his head, sounding exactly Larxene's voice.

"_That's what Namine's powers are about. She can enter, rearrange, and even create new memories of anything. Even things that never happened."_

Suddenly Axel's head started to ache. "Namine…" he moaned, clenching his head. "The C.O team…ugh…"

"Axel what's wrong?" Larxene asked, growing concerned. She put her hand on her shoulder and tried to help him. Suddenly she too felt a shock go through her own head. "Was that girl? Do….do we know her?"

Xion and Roxas watched all of this in bemusement. "What's wrong?" number XIII asked. "What's happening?"

"It looks like they're getting flashbacks too," Xion said in a low tone of voice. "Of things that were forgotten or that were erased. Just like my death…was erased."

"Death…" Larxene muttered. "Oh yes! Earlier today I heard my voice saying something…about fading…but I had never said that before!"

"Oh my head!" Axel groaned, holding his head. "Namine…was she in Castle Oblivion? What exactly happened in Castle Oblivion? Oh…"

Seeing all this disorder and distress, Xion knew she had to do something. She stood up and yelled on the top of her lungs. "Stop!" The two older Nobodies halted and looked up at her, amazed. "There's only one way to solve this problem! We have to collect all the facts and get to the bottom of this!"

Roxas stood up as well. "Right! So tomorrow I'm requesting a mission in Agrabah!"

"Agrabah?" Axel asked, looking up at the boy. "Oh, to find out what the Genie did for you?"

"Right," Roxas replied. "Yesterday he wasn't there, but hopefully he will be tomorrow." Both Xion and Roxas then took their seats. "How's your heads?"

"Surprisingly better," Larxene responded, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah," Axel said. "That sure was weird."

"I'll say," Roxas agreed. "But it is about time for people other than me to start remembering things that were undone."

The clock tower was then silent, each Nobody wrestling with their thoughts. None of it made sense…and yet it did. There had to be a connection…but what?

"So, Roxas…" Axel began, looking suspiciously over at the boy. "What happened after Namine left?"

The redness on Roxas' and Xion's faces returned. "Um…" Roxas began uncomfortably. "Well you see, Xion…" And as the sun was concealed by the rolling hills, Roxas told the tale.

"No way!" Axel laughed. "You two must have really been delirious! But yeah, that is so sweet!"

Amongst the shadows of the town below crept a tall, unknown figure. He stopped at the edge of a wall and checked his surroundings. "You are about to meet a familiar face…Xion."


	28. Breakfast with Namine

Chapter 28 – Breakfast with Namine

As soon as the sun had risen, Vexen was up and ready for another day of experiments. "No time for breakfast," he mumbled as he rushed down the halls. The clicking sound of his boots caused a few moans and groans from behind the closed doors he passed. When he got into his laboratory, he closed the door behind him, slipped on his lab coat, and approached his lab table. "Oh what a busy day!" he exclaimed to himself as he checked over his to-do list. "I have millions of things to do!" Suddenly he noticed a note that had been put on the table; it was fresh, he could tell by the wet ink. "What's this?" He picked up the pure white piece of paper and began to read. The note said:

_Number IV, Vexen:_

_I have thoroughly read over those reports you gave me. They are well written, and I congratulate you. It's comforting to know some of my members still own dictionaries. But I'll get straight to the point. I so believe that number XIII and XIV's ideas are imprudent. There is no possible way in all of the nothingness that Nobodies could have feelings – especially towards each other. However, if I forbid them from seeing each other, they will no doubt leave the Organization, leaving us keybladeless. But I will discourage them, mind you. Proper thinking Nobodies know emotions are only an illusion that bind us back. Well, yes, I must draw this letter to a close, for it is time to round up the breakfast crew. Thank you once again for your services._

_Signed Number I, Superior, Xemnas_

Vexen scratched his chin as he put the note down. "I will definitely discourage them too…but I have to do it in a subtle manner. Roxas will reject even listening to me if I start out with something like 'Roxas you idiot come here and listen to some wise advice'…I have to treat him…as if he were my own son…" He then made a face. "Oh, this is going to be hard. Yes, very hard indeed." Turning to his test-tubes on the counter, he sighed. "Yes, but I have to get to work right away. That bag of bones is probably still asleep. I'll have to talk with him later." The Chilly Academic put on his goggles, picked up a couple scientific instruments, and got to work.

A half an hour later, Vexen came to the most difficult part of his invention. If he accidently messed up the screwing pattern, his device wouldn't work. "Very careful," he muttered to himself as he started to screw the bolt in. "Very careful…steady now…"

Suddenly the door flew open as if it was hit by a hurricane and Marluxia strode in. "Vexen!"

Startled, Vexen let the device slip out of his hand, the bolt falling out of the socket. "No!" he exclaimed, trying very hard to hold back his anger. He looked like a volcano about to erupt. "Mar…luxia…" he growled.

"Good morning to you too," Marluxia mumbled, sliding his hand across one of the countertops.

"Look what you made me do!" Vexen shouted, pointing at his failed invention. "That took me years to put together!"

Marluxia looked at the clock. "Only a half hour, actually," he pointed out.

Vexen opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it. "Just leave me alone," he muttered miserably, walking to the other corner of the room.

Marluxia followed him. "That isn't very nice, Vexen. I just came here for some asprin."

"Oh," Vexen said. He walked over to his medicine cabinet. "Headaches all of a sudden?"

"I've been doing a lot of deep thinking lately," Marluxia replied. "You know, Namine has already been here for four days, not counting today. Three days left…I have to come up with a plan in time."

Vexen turned around, tapping a bottle of asprin lightly in the palm of his hand to get out a pill. "What are you talking about?"

"Huh?" Marluxia asked, realizing he had just said that out loud. "Oh, nothing." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "That Namine girl seems what familiar, don't you think Vexen?"

Vexen shrugged, handing the Graceful Assassin his pill. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

Marluxia took the pill and started to walk in another direction. "No reason. She did mention Sora though…maybe she has some connection to him."

The Chilly Academic walked over to a counter after putting the medicine bottle away. "I don't know. I don't remember her in Castle Oblivion."

Marluxia stopped and began to rub his head. "Yeah…neither do I…"

Vexen walked over to number XI. "Marluxia…I need to ask you something."

Marluxia raised an eyebrow. "I'm not going to donate my kidney if that's what you're thinking," he said.

Vexen's brows furrowed. "No, I was not going to ask you that! Why do you always expect it has to do with experiments?"

"Because you're a scientist," Marluxia answered simply. "Experiments are what you do."

Vexen stared into the distance in a moment of realization. "That's true. Well anyways, for once this has nothing to do with my important experiments. Yesterday I was on a mission…and well…Marluxia…have I ever died before?"

Marluxia stepped back, looking at Vexen as if he were a creep. "Why would you ask that? You're alive now aren't you?"

"Yes…" number IV answered slowly. "But yesterday I heard my voice…pleading…and then someone else's voice…saying goodbye."

Marluxia brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Someone else's voice? Hmm…that's strange. Never happened to me before." After a moment of thought, he continued. "I think you've just been overworking. Get some rest and those voices will probably go away."

Vexen thought about the prospect for a moment before replying. "All right. I'll turn in early tonight. Thanks for your advice, number XI." He then turned back to face the counter.

"You're welcome," Marluxia said, rather emotionless. He then turned to the door. Suddenly there was a shock in his head, causing him to stop.

"_Soon the emptiness will shatter your heart – here in this world…of nothingness! As lightless oblivion devours you – drown in the ever-blooming darkness!"_

"What'd you say, Vexen?" Marluxia asked quickly, alarmed.

Vexen looked back at the Graceful Assassin. "Hm? I didn't say anything."

Marluxia rubbed his head in confusion. "Hm…I think I've been working too hard too. But I have my own problems to sort out." He then left the lab. As he headed down the hall he said to himself, "Now, I have to find some way to make Roxas remove Xion from his soul."

* * *

Memories of Xion came pouring back into Roxas' head as sleep was lifted off of him. "Xion," he muttered, smiling fondly to himself. He squinted his eyes and thought of her smile; those shining blue eyes that brightened up any situation. The reason he was going through all this confusion – it was all for her. "I'm so glad I have her back," he sighed, hugging the corner of his pillow. "And that I can finally tell her all that I wanted to say when she slipped through my grasp on the pavement of Station Plaza. That could be the reason…why I'm capable of loving." He let out another content sigh and smacked his lips sleepily. His eyes started to close…when suddenly…

"_Heavy on the rooftops, climbing high! Somewhere just above you love is hovering by. Love is in a rush to spear you, smash you, smush you. Love will crush you into mush, when you're the bull's-eye, you'll get hit by loooooove…" _

Startled, Roxas immediately wacked the unfamiliar alarm clock that was on his nightstand. His hit was so forceful that it sent the clock hurling out the window. "That movie was cheesy," he grumbled as he pulled the covers over him.

* * *

Down at the foot of the castle, Xigbar was heading over to the mailboxes with a stack of magazines in his arms. As he walked he sung a soft tune. "When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary; when troubles come and my heart burdened be; Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, until you come and sit awhile with me." He stopped in front of the first mailbox – Xemnas' mailbox – and put down the stack of magazines on the ground. He picked up the first one fondly and reread the headlines to himself. "A witch in white gives Roxas a fright." The Freeshooter then chuckled to himself. "Oh what a clever headline."

Xigbar opened the door of the mailbox and was about to stick in the issue when suddenly something hit him. He could tell it had been dropping fast – because it _hurt_. "Oh!" he exclaimed in pain, rubbing his sore shoulder. He turned around to see a broken alarm clock on the ground, and then looked up to notice he was under Roxas' window. "That naughty kid," he grumbled. "I'm going to find some way to embarrass him today." With that, he shoved the magazine in the mailbox and slammed the door shut.

* * *

After all of the alarm clocks in the castle had gone off and all the members were awake, Roxas and Axel were seated at one of the tables in the breakfast hall, waiting eagerly. Axel was anticipating his breakfast, for he was hungry; but he was also excited about seeing the chef – Larxene. Roxas was patiently waiting for Xion to join them, but he had become a bit worried. "Do you think anything has happened to her?" he asked, looking up at Axel.

Axel, whose eyes had been fixed on the kitchen doors, turned back around to face Roxas. "Huh? What could happen to her?"

Roxas shrugged and took his eyes off of the entrance. "I don't know…why do I worry about her so much?" He looked down at his napkin, ashamed.

"Because that's what people do when they're in love," Axel replied. "Got it memorized?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," he said.

Axel grinned slyly at Roxas. "So…lover-boy…why exactly did you and Xion cuddle up on the clock tower the night before last?"

Roxas looked up to see Axel's eyes suggesting something, which immediately made the boy's face turn completely red. "Nothing!" he snapped.

Axel punched Roxas' arm. "Nah, I'm just teasing," he said. "I know you two are too decent for that."

At that moment, and much to Roxas' relief, Xion entered the breakfast room. She was wearing the uniform black robe, but part of her hair was pulled back by a red ribbon. She wore a shy expression as she came up to her friends' table and took a seat.

"Hi, Xion!" Roxas greeted cheerfully. "Wow, you look beautiful…as usual. I like that ribbon in your hair."

Number XIV's face turned pink. "Th-thanks Roxas…"

Axel chuckled. "Aw, c'mon, you two are just acting shy because I'm here. If I wasn't you two would be kissing up a storm I bet!" He slapped Roxas on the back.

The red on both of the younger Nobodies' faces darkened. "N-no!" Roxas stuttered.

"Whatever, deny it if you want to," Axel said, waving his hand.

Xion spent a moment just smiling at Roxas before she spoke. "So…today is when we go to the movies in Twilight Town, Roxas?"

Roxas looked up from the napkin he was staring at, surprised. Because of all the drama he had forgotten about the movie theater. He reached in his pocket and took out the flyer. "Yup," he confirmed. "I guess we'll go there after our mission."

Becoming intrigued, number VIII raised an eyebrow. "What's this about a movie theater?" he asked curiously.

Xion turned to Axel. "Oh, Roxas won two free tickets to the movie theater," she explained with a smile.

"Oh really?" Axel inquired, turning to Roxas. "How'd you manage this?"

Roxas set the flyer down on the breakfast table. "I was just walking by the movie theater and this man came up to me saying that I was the one thousandth person to walk by. He congratulated me and handed me this flyer," he explained quietly.

Axel reached over and picked up the leaflet. "Hm…" he mused. "_The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring._ That's a good one. Starts at 7 pm." He then handed the flyer back to Roxas. "Have fun you two."

As Roxas put the piece of paper back in his pocket, Xion looked over at Axel with concern. "Axel, you sure you don't mind us going without you?" she asked.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames met Xion's gaze. "No, no, really it's fine," he reassured her. "I have Larxene to keep me company."

Xion looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "Okay then, thanks." She flashed one of her happiest smiles.

Meanwhile at another table, Xigbar folded over the newspaper that had been concealing his face. "The movies, eh? That's when I'll find some way to embarrass them."

Back at the three friends' table, Roxas was questioning Axel about the new alarm clock he had unpleasantly found in his room.

Axel shrugged. "I thought you could use some encouragement," he answered simply.

Roxas shook his head, dismissing the topic. "Whatever, I got rid of it anyways."

"Yeah, on my shoulder," Xigbar grumbled from his table, rubbing his sore bone.

At that moment, Larxene left the kitchen. As soon as Axel saw her, he eagerly stood up. "Hey Larx!"

Larxene stopped in front of Axel, giving him a queer look. "Why are you standing?" she asked. "Well anyways, I just came out to ask you if you wanted to help me in the kitchen, Axey."

Axel tilted his head. "Me? Help in the kitchen?" he inquired, sounding almost appalled. He saw out of the corner of his eyes his two younger friends snicker. "Well I don't know Larx…where's that sissy Marluxia?"

Larxene shrugged, her eyes wandering to the Xion and Roxas. "He ditched me," she replied. "Said he had some real important business to take care of. I would have stopped him by force but I was never really crazy about having that freak for a kitchen mate."

Axel let out a sigh. "Well I guess I have no choice," he said, wrapping an arm around the Savage Nymph. "I wouldn't want you to cut yourself with a knife or anything."

"Any wisecracks like that and I'll stick you with a knife," Larxene threatened playfully. She was trying to pull him away to the kitchen when he turned around and addressed number XIII and XIV.

"Excuse me for a couple minutes," Axel told them. He was then dragged off to the kitchen.

The table was then silent for a moment, each Nobody trying to think of something to say. The silence was awkward, each of them were feeling unusually shy around each other. Maybe it was because they sensed they were being watched; behind a certain newspaper was an unfriendly face. At length, Roxas spoke.

"How'd you sleep, Xi-Xi?" he asked cheerfully, giving her a smile.

Seeing Roxas' smile made Xion smile as well. "Just fine. No weird dreams," she replied. "I did have a dream that you and I were flying through the air in Neverland though."

Roxas rested his hand on top of hers. "Don't worry, best friend, we'll get to go there together sometime. And then we'll soar through the air, I promise you." He gazed tenderly into her eyes.

Xion felt her face redden up again and she turned away, trying to hide it. "I hope so. But first we have to go to Agrabah."

"Right," Roxas agreed, retracting his hand. "So after breakfast I'll go beg Saix."

Xion giggled. "I hope that old sourpuss says yes. We really need to see the Genie."

Before number XIII could respond, Demyx entered the breakfast hall, attracting a lot of attention. He was wrapped in a green quilt, was carrying a box of tissues, and he looked just awful. His eyes were runny and his nose was red. He let out a few coughs, causing the other members to complain and to shun him away from their tables. The unwanted Melodious Nocturne ended up stopping at Xion and Roxas' table.

"Demyx, what's wrong?" Xion asked number IX, concerned.

Demyx wiped his nose with a tissue as he sat down. "Well you see," he began, his voice sounding all congested. "Yesterday I didn't want to go to Halloween Town, especially alone, so I faked sick. But later Saix caught me singing so he sent me out to that scary town. And it was raining! Oh it was awful! And now I'm really sick, but will the superior listen?"

Roxas couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow, Demyx, you're in a spot. I guess that's what you get for being so lazy."

Demyx let out a moan. His eyes scanned the room, and suddenly he noticed a streak of Xigbar's ponytail behind a newspaper. "Oh, there's Xigbar!" he exclaimed, standing up. "Thanks for" –he let out a cough – "Talking with me." He then headed over to Xigbar's table to annoy the Freeshooter.

At that moment, Roxas' stomach growled. It was a long and hungry-sounding growl, causing Xion to giggle. "I hope breakfast comes soon," Roxas said impatiently, tapping his feet. "Why didn't you let me have that second ice cream last night?"

"Because it makes you hyper," she replied simply. "And the last time you were hyper…it was weird." She made a face, resulting in the laughter of Roxas.

"Yeah, I never knew I could see those crazy songs in front of a girl," he chuckled, remembering back to the time he and Axel had stuffed themselves with sea-salty goodness. They both then started to laugh rather loudly, causing some of the organization members to stare at them. But as soon as they set their eyes on the entrance door, they became dead silent. For in walked Namine, the white witch.

The expression Namine wore was a nervous one; she felt as if all the members were staring at her. But in reality, most were just minding their own business; Roxas and Xion looking away, waiting for her to pass. Much to their horror, she stopped – right in front of their table. She stood there for a while, thinking. _"Maybe I can try to become Roxas' friend…maybe he'll like me more than Xion…well that's all I can do while I wait for Marluxia to come up with a plan."_ As she opened her mouth, she noticed Xion glaring daggers at her. But she tried to ignore number XIV's glower and spoke up. "Hey you two."

Roxas stared viciously down at his napkin, trying his hardest to control his anger. "Do you really expect me to talk to you after what you tried to do to me?"

Namine looked down at her Barbie-like sandals, ashamed. _"How can I make him forgive me?" _she wondered. "Well…I realize now…that that was foolish. And dirty. And underhanded."

"Well it's about time," Xion muttered, not meeting Namine's gaze. "You can't have Roxas."

Namine looked over at number XIV, trying to keep herself from feeling bitter. _"She takes Roxas for granted," _she thought. "Well I just came here to say…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Roxas looked Namine in the eye, looking dead serious. "It wasn't the physical pain that hurt. It's the fact that you tried to make me forget the nearest and dearest thing I have – Xion. That is something I don't think I can forgive you for."

If Namine had had a heart, it would have sunk. She felt some pain in her stomach as she heard those words. All her dreams had shattered at those words. Suddenly she recalled something Marluxia had said to her.

_"This may take some time, but I __will__ think up another plan. So hang in there, Namine."_

"_Just a bit longer,"_ Namine thought. _"I'll just have to try to make peace with Roxas for now."_ Taking a deep breath, she asked, "May I join you for breakfast? Marluxia is busy right now…"

Roxas looked over to Xion to see her reaction to the witch's request. Her expression didn't seem to being saying either way, so he reluctantly agreed. "All right fine…but don't you dare hurt Xion."

Namine nodded as she slowly took the seat Axel had once sat in. "I won't," she responded quietly. There was a stretch of awkward silence before Namine thought up something to talk about. "So…are missions fun?"

"Sometimes," Roxas replied coldly. "It depends who you're paired with."

"Oh," the girl in white said, knowing Roxas probably enjoyed only the missions with Xion. "I…sort of wish I could go on a mission…"

"What do you do?" Xion inquired, giving her a curious look. "Other than mess with people's memories."

Namine tired to think of any physical combat she was capable, but she came out flat. "Well…I'm pretty sure I could wield something…like maybe a stick…" she answered uncomfortably.

Xion narrowed her eyes. "No. That's Roxas' department," she said firmly.

"Huh?" Namine asked, confused. "I thought Roxas used a keyblade."

"Oh never mind," Roxas said gruffly. "You wouldn't know."

Namine looked downward again, mortified. "Oh, okay," she said quietly, sounding very disappointed.

Roxas stared down at his napkin, tracing the embroidery with the tip of his finger. How uncomfortable he felt, and how uncomfortable Xion must have felt. The boy wondered if Namine was actually sorry for what she had done, or if she was just trying to win Roxas' affections. _"What could be taking Axel so long?" _he thought impatiently. He counted on Axel's return to save him from more awkward silences with Namine. Suddenly he heard some commotion behind him, so he looked in that direction, as did his table mates.

Xaldin walking toward the door to the kitchen, seeming rather steamed. He opened the door at lightning speed, stuck his head in, and yelled, "Quit making out you two! I'm hungry!" He then closed the door and was starting to walk back to his table when he stopped, realizing something. "Wait…MAKING OUT?"

"Oh no," Xion breathed. "I think Axel and Larxene have just been discovered." She and Roxas watched in horror as most of the members in the breakfast room went pouring into the kitchen, Xigbar obviously among them. Also among them was Saix. Roxas and Xion were so thankful that Marluxia wasn't there, but word would spread quickly with Xigbar at the helm.

They too got up and pushed their way into the kitchen, leaving a very confused Namine behind. There they saw Larxene and Axel backed up against one of the counters, faces bright red, and trying to explain themselves above all the noise. Axel shot Roxas a pleading look, hoping number XIII could do something to quiet the others.

Roxas wracked his brain, trying to think of something he could do to make the others quit shouting. Shouting over them wouldn't work, but then he thought of something else. Something Demyx would always do to get people's attention. He cleared his throat, and somewhat reluctantly started to sing at the top of his lungs.

"_I like my sitar  
I like my sitar  
I play the sitar, sitar  
Wherever I go  
Oheyoh"_

As he started to get the members' attention, the volume of his voice lowered, and he ended up saying the last word questionably instead of singing. He felt himself shrink as all the members stared at him.

"All right sitar boy number two. What do you want?" Xigbar asked, staring down at Roxas.

"I don't like sitars…" Roxas mumbled. "I was just using the Demyx method of getting your attention. If…if you would just let Axel and Larxene explain themselves…well there's probably a simple explanation."

"Yeah," Xaldin said gruffly. "They've been hanging out with you too much."

"Please, Lea, say it isn't so!" Saix exclaimed, almost pleadingly. "Don't act as foolish as this Nobody and his puppet!" He pointed disgustedly at Roxas and Xion.

"Xion is not my puppet!" Roxas exclaimed, getting the urge to kick Saix in the shin. "She's my best friend!"

"Whatever," Saix said, dismissing Roxas with the wave of his hand. "Explain yourself, Lea."

The kitchen became dead silent, the Nobodies anxiously waiting for Larxene and Axel's explanation.

"And don't give us that old 'there was a bug on his lips and I was squishing it' routine," Luxord said.

"First of all," Larxene began, sounding angered. "We were not making out! And if anyone would still like to insist that we were" – she produced her knives from between her fingers and smiled at them threateningly – "be my guest." Most of the members cowered away a bit, knowing how savage the Savage Nymph could get.

"Then if you weren't making out," Xigbar stood forward, seeming undaunted. "What were you doing?"

"Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," Axel answered simply, taking a step forward and shaking off his embarrassment. "Larxene was kind enough to give it to me after she accidently elbowed me in the stomach."

There was a moment of silence, the Nobodies trying to decide if they believed the Flurry of Dancing Flames. "Elbowed you in the stomach?" Xaldin asked, uncertain.

Larxene nodded, shooting Axel a look of gratitude. "Yes, and then he couldn't breathe. Well you know how hard my elbowing is…"

Luxord placed a hand on his own stomach, recalling the time he had gotten a little too close to the Savage Nymph when smashed. "Yes…I know…" he said weakly.

"Makes sense…" Xigbar said, but the suspicious look in his eye did not dissipate. "But I'm not too sure this is on the level…"

"You thought we were kissing?" Larxene asked, faking an appalled tone of voice. "Hah, that's disgusting! Do you really think I would kiss this nincompoop?" Axel somewhat cringed at the name.

"Well…it looked like you were…" Demyx began, sniffling.

"Well we were definitely not!" Axel insisted. "I wouldn't kiss that ogre for all the hot tamales in Mexico!" He felt a sharp pain in his back, and realized that Larxene had stuck him with her knives. _"She knows I'm just kidding," _he thought, rubbing his sore back. He then realized that the Nobodies expected him to defend himself more. "And if I'm lying may my nose drop off!" He quickly turned to the side so no one would notice and placed his hand under his nose, knowing it was a lie but hoping he wouldn't lose his nose.

Xigbar eyed the two warily for another moment before coming to a decision. "All right you two, I won't cross-examine you. I believe you. But if anyone ever catches you doing that again…we know it won't be mouth-to-mouth." He gave them a wink and then headed back with the crowd into the breakfast hall. Roxas and Xion stayed in the kitchen, however, to consult the guilty party.

"How could you let them catch you?" Roxas asked, taken aback by his friends' carelessness.

"Well it was pretty easy to catch you and Xion!" Axel yelled back. "All I had to do was be walking down the hall at the right time! You two aren't masters of disguise either you know!"

Roxas and Xion both looked down at the food-stained floor, ashamed.

Axel suddenly felt penitent for yelling. "Sorry. You two have an excuse. We don't. We're old enough to know better."

"Right," Larxene agreed with a nod. "We won't let them catch us again." She then let out a relieved sigh. "Phew, that was a close one!"

"It sure was," Axel agreed, letting out a breath of air.

Xion smiled. "I'm glad you two didn't get in trouble. Great excuses! And Roxas…" She turned to number XIII and started to laugh. "Why on earth did you see Demyx's favorite song at the top of your lungs?"

Roxas rubbed the back of his head and smiled nervously. "Well I just remembered that that is the way Demyx gets attention. And it actually worked…"

Axel patted Roxas on the back. "Well thanks a million." He then turned back to the stove, where fortunately the range had been turned off. "Well I think we better get back to preparing breakfast, eh Larx?"

"Are you sure you would want to cook with an ogre?" Larxene asked in mock bitterness.

"Aw, Larx, you know I was just kidding," the Flurry of Dancing Flames said, giving her a pleading expression.

Larxene grinned evilly. "You better have been." She then joined him by the stove.

Roxas looked at Xion and then at number VIII and XII. "Well, please hurry up with breakfast! Me and Xion are stuck sitting with Namine!"

"Ooh," Axel winced. "Okay, we'll hurry." He grabbed another skillet to start a second pan of bacon.

Meanwhile, Roxas and Xion reluctantly returned to the breakfast hall and took their seats. Namine was still sitting there, much to their disappointment. The awkward silence began again.

Namine sighed. "Well, it's day five of my visit. A week has almost passed. I'll have to leave soon…" she said softly.

"Good riddance," Xion mumbled, her arms crossed and her eyes refusing to meet Namine's gaze.

Namine sunk in her chair. _"I wish I could have breakfast with just Roxas…" _she thought.

"Well all I can say is that it's been an…interesting experience," Roxas said uneasily.

At that moment, Vexen walked up to their table. "I got a reply from Xemnas about the reports," he told Roxas and Xion, cutting to the point without even saying hello.

Roxas and Xion's expressions immediately turned worried. "Oh no! What'd he say?" Roxas asked anxiously.

"I'm still allowed to see Roxas, aren't I?" Xion questioned, almost pleadingly.

Vexen rolled his eyes, thinking this display of worry was pathetic. "Unfortunately, he said that as long as it does not affect your mission status, you are allowed to do as you please. In other words, his verdict still stands." He then walked away, heading over to the "science crew table", where Zexion and Lexaeus sat.

Roxas and Xion let out their breaths, incredibly relieved. "Wow, I was afraid there for a second," Roxas said, placing his hand over Xion's. Xion agreed profoundly, and they both shared a tender moment of gazing into each other's ocean-blue eyes.

Namine sighed wistfully as she watched the couple. _"I wish Roxas would give me those eyes…Darn, they do look sort of cute together…I don't know what to do."_

_

* * *

_

Xemnas picked up his top-secret communication device, otherwise known as a cell phone, and dialed Saix's number. The phones had become quite handy when the members needed to speak to each other but were at opposite ends of the castle. When number VII picked up, the superior whispered, "Saix, I forbid Roxas, Axel, or Xion to be sent to Agrabah today. It is very crucial that they aren't sent there. I would prefer it if no one was sent there today."

"Understood," Saix replied. He then hung up.


	29. Request Denied

Chapter 29 – Request Denied

After an awkwardly silent breakfast with Namine, Roxas and Xion met up with Axel and Larxene in the Grey Room. Saix had not arrived yet - they figured he was still eating his six-course breakfast – so they weren't sent on missions immediately.

"Why did you guys eat at a different table?" Roxas asked Axel, somewhat angrily.

Axel shrugged. "It wasn't our choice," he replied. "We were practically pushed into the corner and we didn't want to make a scene. Namine didn't seem to be hurting you anyways."

Roxas folded his arms and leaned against the window. "Yeah but it wasn't very pleasant," he grumbled.

Larxene turned to Xion. "Xion, how ever did you control yourself from beating up Namine?" she asked, sounding surprised. "If some girl had tried to do that to Axey, she would be dead!" She let out her classic sadistic laugh.

Xion shook her head. "Believe me, it was hard. I felt really steamed," she responded.

Axel took a step forward and put his arm around Larxene. "Well don't take any of Larxene's advice unless you want to end up in jail," he warned, although he was mostly joking.

Larxene looked up at him. "Then why aren't I in jail?" she asked, lightly tugging on his drawstrings.

"Because no one can cage up my little nymph," Axel told her in a baby-ish voice, tapping her on the nose. She turned away from him with a weird expression, rubbing her nose. He just laughed and turned back to his friends. "I hope Saix allows you two to go to Agrabah."

Roxas and Xion nodded simultaneously. "Yeah, me too," number XIII agreed. "I don't see any reason why he shouldn't…I heard the Heartless population is up again."

Recalling something, Larxene suddenly leaned in to the four person circle. "Hey guys, you know how last night you said that something was wrong? Well if Xemnas knows about it…I could always hack into his computer and check it out."

"Hack into his computer?" Roxas asked questionably. "You can do that?"

Larxene stepped back with a smug smile. "Of course. How else do you think I found out his middle name was Theodore?"

Xion giggled. "Weird."

Axel gave Larxene a hesitant look. "Larx…you're sure you can do this without turning into a dusk?"

Larxene put her hands on her hips and furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you doubting me?" she asked.

Seeing the anger in Larxene's eyes, Axel cowered away a bit. "N-no, Larx. I'm just worried…" He gave her a tender look, trying to show her his intentions were good.

Larxene stood there, a bit dumbfounded. "Oh….okay. Well I'll be fine." She then turned to Roxas and Xion and said in a whisper, "I'll work on it after my mission, okay?"

Xion nodded. "Okay. I hope you find some information." Suddenly she felt someone tug on her hair ribbon, so she turned around to find that Roxas had done it.

Roxas smiled. "Sorry Xi-Xi," he said, putting his hands down. "It's cute."

Before Xion could respond or Axel make a smart-alecky comment, Saix walked in the room. As usual, his presence caused the room to become dead silent. He walked in a dignified manner over to the head of the room. He was about to read off the mission assignment when he noticed Xion and Roxas standing before him. "What do you two want?" he asked in a disgusted tone of voice.

"We were wondering if we could be sent to Agrabah today," Roxas responded, trying to sound confident.

"_Funny…" _Saix thought suspiciously. _"That's exactly where Xemnas told me not to let them go…"_ His face then grew stricter as he replied. "No."

Both young Nobodies were surprised at Saix's sudden answer. "N-no?" Xion asked. "Why not?"

"You are not needed there," Saix told her, checking his list. "You, puppet, are needed in Wonderland. And you, Roxas, are needed in Beast's Castle."

"B-but!" Roxas protested.

Saix was about to turn away, ending the argument, but Axel came to Roxas and Xion's defense. "Aw, c'mon, Isa, why can't they go to Agrabah?"

Saix closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "I told you never to call me that." His eyes then opened.

"Well you called me Lea this morning," Axel pointed out. "So it's only fair."

"They aren't going to Agrabah," Saix insisted strictly. "And that is final!" He walked away to another corner of the room.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames sighed and turned to his friends. "Sorry, you two, maybe tomorrow." He shrugged his thin shoulders.

Roxas and Xion looked to the ground, disappointed. "It isn't fair," number XIII muttered. "He doesn't know how much this means to us."

"Yeah," Xion agreed forlornly. "He just likes telling people no…"

And so the two Nobodies were forced to go their own separate ways, the replica to Wonderland and the keyblade master's Nobody to Beast's Castle. They hadn't tried to put up much of a fight because they knew that if they had, they might never be allowed to see each other again.

* * *

Namine sat in her room, staring into a cold white vanity's mirror. For once she wasn't drawing, but rather staring at the object that was set in front of her: a sparkly striped seashell. The seashell that Roxas had promised he would never leave Xion on. And the witch had stolen it, right out of Xion's pocket. Now half of her was regretting it, and the other half was proud. _"Why am I so alone?" _she thought miserably. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Marluxia.

"Hello Namine," he greeted, stopping next to her chair.

"Hey Marluxia!" Namine responded excitedly. "Did you come up with a plan?"

Marluxia shook his head solemnly. "No, not yet. I was thinking maybe we could take a stroll around my gar-" Suddenly the seashell on Namine's vanity caught his eye. "What is that?"

Namine picked up the shell. "Oh this?" she asked, her gloomy mood returning. "It's Xion's. Roxas gave it to her. I sort of…"

"Stole it?" Marluxia finished.

The girl nodded in shame. "Yes. I'm sorry."

"Why?" the Graceful Assassin asked, sounding surprised. "I think stealing it is a wonderful way to teach that replica a lesson!"

Namine looked up, slightly shocked. "Y-you do?"

Marluxia patted her on the back. "Yes. Now how about that stroll around my garden?"

Namine sighed, standing up. "Sure I guess," she replied.

The two left the stuffy indoors of the castle and entered into what seemed like a magical world – Marluxia's garden. The sun shone down through the cherry trees causing brilliant rays of light. Watching the butterflies dancing in the light breeze made even Namine feel a bit better. It was refreshing to see color again.

Marluxia chuckled, noticing the awed expression on Namine's face. "What do you think?" he asked.

Namine stepped forward, still taking in the breath-taking view. "It's…it's…I've never seen anything like this before! I wish I could draw it!"

Number XI put his hand on her shoulder. "Go get your sketchpad then. While I think, you draw."

"Okay!" the girl agreed excitedly. She raced back into the castle to get her things.

As Marluxia watched a bee dart from flower to flower, he scratched his chin. _"Hmm…Namine seems oddly familiar…"_


	30. In the Garden

Chapter 30 – In the Garden

The way the sun shown down on Marluxia's garden provided the perfect lighting for Namine's artistry. She sat down on a pink wooden bench in the shade of an apple tree and opened her sketchpad. Marluxia took a seat next to her and curiously watched her flip through the old pages of her book. He saw some pictures of tropical scenes and islands. Suddenly he saw a picture that made him put his hand on the book, stopping the girl from turning anymore pages.

"Namine, I've been meaning to ask you something," number XI said.

Namine looked up and met his gaze. "Yeah?" she asked.

Marluxia looked back down at the drawing; it was of Sora. "How do you know Sora anyway?" He retracted his hand from the sketchbook.

Namine began turning the pages again. "Oh, I met him in some castle," she replied.

Marluxia raised an eyebrow. "A castle? Do you remember the name of the castle?"

She stopped turning and thought. "No…actually I don't," was her answer.

Number XI began stroking his chin. "Interesting…do you know where Sora is now?"

Namine flipped one more page and came to a blank one. "Yeah, I'm restoring his memories," she replied casually. She then picked up her pencil and began to lightly sketch the outline of a tree.

That caught Marluxia's attention. He wondered why she was saying it so nonchalantly. _"Was she at Castle Oblivion?" _he asked himself. _"Well, that's enough questions for now."_ He let out a sigh as he turned his attention over to Namine's drawing. Even though it was far from finished, it already looked beautiful. He couldn't help but smile at her talent. He decided to just keep quiet for the time being and let her work.

As Namine drew, she hummed a soft tune. At first Marluxia couldn't recognize it, but then it came to him. It sounded a lot like a song he had heard while in the Hundred Acre Woods. He leaned back and took a deep breath of the fresh air, enjoying his garden. A bright yellow bee, all covering in pollen, suddenly flew by his head. The yellow caused him to remember Larxene, and how the last time he'd seen her wasn't too pleasant. _"Maybe I can make it up to her…"_ he thought, his eyes wandering over to all the flower bushes in his garden. Number XI stood up abruptly. "I'll be right back, Namine."

Namine looked up from her sketchbook. "Oh, all right," she responded. She then went back to her work. As she shaded in the trunk of a tree, her mind wandered back to her previous problems. "Roxas and Xion," she sighed. She lifted her eyes to the scenery before her, getting ready to copy it, when suddenly something caught her eye. Curious, she got up off the bench and walked across the brick path to investigate. The object in question was a thin white birch, its trunk covered in stripes. But the thing she spotted on its trunk wasn't a stripe at all. "Roxas + Xion forever," the girl in white sighed, reading the etching in the trunk. She took hold of one of the branches and stared at the trunk in a moment of silence. She pondered whether she should give in or not. But her mind was also on Marluxia, and how he guaranteed to get Roxas for her. "I don't know what to do," Namine groaned, leaning back.

She stayed by that tree for a few more minutes before returning to the bench and sitting down. She placed her sketchpad back in her lap and stared at it. "I don't feel like drawing anymore," she grumbled. She was about to close the book when Marluxia returned.

"Well I'm back," number XI said, sitting down. In his hand was a beautiful pink tulip, so bright that Namine couldn't stare at it for too long. "So how's the drawing coming along?"

Namine shook her head. "I can't draw. I don't feel like it," she replied miserably.

Marluxia cocked his head. "Really? Why not?" he asked, almost sounding concerned.

Namine clutched her sketchbook. "Marluxia…do you really…" Her pitiful eyes met his gaze, causing him to get a strange feeling in his stomach. "…think you can get Roxas for me?"

Marluxia nodded, astounded by her expression. "Yes…I'm still coming up with a plan, but I'm sure of it." He placed one hand over her small folded hands. "So please…hang in there just a little bit longer."

"I don't know…" Namine said doubtfully.

Marluxia didn't know what else to say. How could he make her believe him? His gaze fell upon the flower in his hand, meant for Larxene. _"She needs it more than Larxene,"_ he thought.

As a tear started to roll down Namine's cheek, she felt something be placed in her lap. She looked down to see it was Marluxia's flower. "Huh?" she asked, surprised, looking up at the Graceful Assassin.

A smile graced Marluxia's lips. "For you," he said kindly.

Namine was pretty surprised by the tone of his voice. It was the nicest tone she'd ever heard come out of his mouth. She wondered why he was being so pleasant. She timidly picked up the flower and eyed it carefully. "Th…thank you."

Marluxia's grin widened. "You're welcome…Namine."

"Oh!" Namine exclaimed, suddenly getting an idea. She turned her attention back to her sketchbook and turned the page. "I know exactly what I'm going to draw…"

* * *

"Wonderland sure is bizarre," Xion mused. She stood before a deck of cards, bracing herself for interrogation. The general of the cards stopped in front of her and poked her on the nose with his rod.

"Why are you here?" the general asked briskly.

"T-to hunt heartless," Xion replied, with almost the same amount of speed.

"Likely story!" spat the general.

"It's true!" Xion defended. "I'm with Organization XIII!"

The general raised an eyebrow. One of his men saw the confused look on his face and spoke up. "I heard about that group, sir. They're an interior decorating/shoe shining service."

Xion shook her head rapidly, trying to protest. But the general cut her short. "What would a company like that be doing here? No, you must be a spy! Take her away!"

As the cards began to carry away, she cried in protest. "No! Wait! There must be some mistake!"The cards did not listen, however, they just carried out their orders. They were about to pass under the hedge-trellis when there was some commotion behind them. As soon as they caught sight of the situation, they dropped number XIV. A bush had been trampled over by panicking waterlogged cards.

"What's the matter?" the general cried, trying to not get run over.

"The plumbing!" one card called. "It's gone berserk!"

Suddenly a voice was heard, a voice that was probably heard all across Wonderland. "Dance, water, dance!" Xion immediately recognized it and felt incredibly grateful.

"Aaah!" screamed the cards in unison. "Tsunami! Run for your lives!" All the cards, despite the general's shouting, immediately ran away, forgetting all about their captive. The general too ran away when he caught sight of the giant wave heading straight toward him. Once Xion was the only one left in that sector, the wave disappeared, leaving only Demyx and his trusty sitar.

"Hey, Xion," Demyx greeted with a friendly smile, walking up to the girl.

"Demyx!" Xion exclaimed. She gave the Melodious Nocturne a hug out of gratitude and then stepped back. "Thank you so much!"

Demyx rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…I would have been here sooner but Xigbar had two cups of coffee this morning so he was more hyper-aware than usual. But I finally got away, just in time to help you."

Number XIV's grin expanded. "Well thanks again. I don't know what I would have done without you. But won't Xigbar be upset you ditched him?"

"Oh of course," Demyx answered. "He always is. But who cares!"

Xion let out a giggle.

Demyx scanned his surroundings for a bit. "So are you done with your mission?" he asked.

"Yeah, just about," Xion replied.

Number IX nodded. "Good. Then you'll have plenty time to get ready for your date with Roxas."

Xion's face reddened. "How…how'd you know about that?"

"Xigbar told me," Demyx replied simply. "Well anyways, go. Larxene is probably back from her mission and will help you get ready." He gave her a little push.

"What do I need Larxene for?" Xion asked, confused.

"To make you look pretty," Demyx responded. He then opened the dark corridor and ushered Xion inside. "Roxas and Xion…such a cute couple."


	31. The Start of the Evening

Chapter 31 – The Start of the Evening

Roxas arrived in the Grey Room around five pm, fairly tired from his Heartless hunt. "Who knew Heartless could find so many hiding places in a queer castle?" he asked as he dragged himself down the hall. He was about to enter his room for a nap when Axel caught up to him.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Number VIII teased, noticing Roxas' lagging condition. "Did the Bully Dogs play rough today?"

Roxas started to open his door. "Lay off, would ya?" he said groggily. "I had a hard day…I'd just like to nap until dinner, okay?"

Axel caught Roxas by the hood, preventing him from entering his room. "Oh no you don't. You've got a date with Xion, remember?"

Roxas froze. "Oh right…" he mumbled. "I really don't want to upset her…but I feel tired…I think she'll understand." He tried for his door again, but Axel yanked him back.

"No way, dude. No way," Axel said firmly. "You're not going to stand up Xion. Think of how crushed she would be. Those once shining blue eyes would shine no more…those smiling lips would turn upside down…You can't let that happen." The tone of Axel's voice was soft, trying to get Roxas to picture number XIV in his mind.

Roxas' face saddened, imaging the disappointed girl. "Oh… all right. I can't do that to her…"

A satisfied grin appeared on Axel's face. "Good! Now come on, I'll help you get dressed."

Number XIII looked up at Axel. "Dressed? I'm already dressed."

"Yeah, but Larxene is making Xion dress all fancy. I took the liberty of buying you an outfit while in Twilight Town," the Flurry of Dancing Flames told him. "Now come on, let's go to my room."

Roxas gave Axel a hesitant look. "I don't know…I've never worn anything other than this." He gestured to his jacket.

Axel grabbed the tentative Nobody by the hand. "Exactly why it's time to change! Let's go!" And before Roxas could protest anymore, he was dragged off to number VIII's living quarters.

* * *

It was another of those nights for the gentlemen of The Castle That Never Was – poker night. Except this time they weren't playing poker. Xigbar, Luxord, Xaldin, and Demyx sat around one of the tables in the rec. room playing 'go fish'. It was the only game that Demyx, who insisted on being part of the crowd, knew how to play. At least he claimed he knew how to play.

"Got any twos?" Luxord asked dully. He out of all the other men was the one least enjoying the game. The reason was quite simple – there wasn't any munny at stake. Xigbar, on the other hand, found that fact the only part of the game he did like.

After examining his cards in sleuth-like motions, Demyx spoke up. "Gold fish!"

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "Dem, it's 'go fish' not 'gold fish.'" He put down his cards in frustration. "I don't know why I'm playing this. Because of your ditching me, YOU should be the one suffering, not me!"

As the other men put down their cards, Demyx protested. "Hey, if I hadn't ditched you Xion might not be alive!"

"Pff, do I look like I care if Poppet is alive or not?" Xigbar asked, annoyed.

"You should," Xaldin said bluntly. "Your magazine revolves around her and Roxas, and if she dies you'll be out of business."

Xigbar gulped, realizing the horrible truth.

Luxord elbowed Xigbar. "The magazine business was quite a gamble, eh?"

Xigbar sunk in his chair. "Fine, so Poppet can live," he grumbled. "That doesn't mean I owe you any favors, Demyx."

Demyx's smile faded. "Aw, no back massages?"

The Freeshooter shook his head stubbornly. "Nope. Never."

Demyx wallowed in his disappointment for a moment before picking up his cards. "Then can we finish the game?"

Xigbar pushed back his chair and stood up. "Sorry, can't. It's about time for me to follow Poppet and kiddo to the movie theater. Be a good boy now." And before Demyx could protest, Xigbar had left the room.

"Poo," Demyx sighed, sinking in his chair.

"Watch your language!" Luxord joked, both he and Xaldin laughing.

"Stop," Demyx grumbled. He picked up his deck of cards and threw it at the laughing men.

* * *

Axel and Larxene stood in the hall way, both waiting for their victims – I mean protégés– to come out of separate doors.

"How does Xion look?" Axel asked Larxene in a whisper. "Does that dress we bought her in Twilight Town suit her?"

Larxene shrugged. "All right I guess. I'm sure it's enough to make a square like Roxas flip."

"Hey," Axel protested. "You're talking about my best friend there."

Larxene smirked. "Well I never said being a square was a bad thing…I'm in love with a square after all." She gave his cheek a light tug to taunt him.

"Oh, very funny," Axel said mordantly, rolling his eyes. At that moment both doors opened simultaneously, and two nervous Nobodies stepped out. When they faced each other they froze, gazing at each other in awe.

Roxas was dressed in a very odd outfit that was said to be casual by the shop owner in Twilight Town. It consisted of a white short sleeved vest embroidered with black checkers over a black zipped-up shirt. His pants were black and beige which nicely complimented his black and red sneakers. He felt a bit uncomfortable in the outfit, but overall he was mostly worried about Xion's reaction. Xion thought he looked adorable in it.

Xion, on the other hand, was wearing a semi-casual, short, spaghetti-strap dress. The rich cranberry color made her sparkling blue eyes stand out. Roxas, who had never seen her in a dress before, found his jaw dropping. Xion wore a bashful expression as she caught glimpse of Roxas' look.

After the Savage Nymph had gotten annoyed of the silence, she spoke up. "Well? Say something!"

"You…you look nice…Roxas," Xion managed to saw, choking on her words.

Roxas stepped a bit closer to the girl. "So do you," he replied with a smile. "You look…beautiful."

Xion blushed. "So…so do you."

Both Axel and Larxene chuckled. They were about to tell Xion that you were supposed to tell a guy he looked 'handsome' not 'beautiful', but then they noticed something. Roxas and Xion's eyes. They were locked onto each other's in a way they had never seen before. Axel shrugged. _"Must be because they haven't really seen each other in that kind of clothes before," _he thought. Then he broke the silence. "Well I think you two better get going."

Roxas shook the daze off and looked up at Axel. "Huh? Um, okay." He then turned back to Xion and offered her his hand. "Xion?"

Xion too pealed her eyes away from Roxas' strange outfit and nodded. "Okay." She walked up to his side and took his hand.

As they started for the Grey Room, Axel yelled after them, "Have fun you two!"

Roxas and Xion turned their heads back and smiled at him. Larxene noticed their expressions were genuinely happy and their cheeks had a tint of red. The Savage Nymph rested her hand on Axel's shoulder and sighed. "Those two…"

Axel turned his attention to number XII. "Yeah, they sure are something." Suddenly the clock on the wall caught his eye. "Hey, don't you have some _work_ to do?"

Immediately remembering what she had planned to do, Larxene nodded. "Right. But you've got to keep watch, mister. 'Got it memorized?'" She stuck her tongue out at him jokingly.

Axel just laughed and shook his head. "Well, lead the way, Jonathan James," he teased, calling her the name of a famous computer hacker.

* * *

When Roxas and Xion arrived in Twilight Town, the sun was just about to set. Roxas looked up at the clock tower, shielding his eyes from the orange glow, and read the numbers on the clock. "We have ten minutes before the movie starts," he reported. "Let's go."

As the two Nobodies walked towards the theater, Roxas reached in his pocket to make sure he still had the flyer. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt it was still there, and he started to relax. Xion, on the other hand, felt rather tense. Her dress was the skimpiest thing she had worn. Granted, her bathing suit was worse, but at least Axel was there too. She felt pretty awkward around Roxas now. Roxas, however, was too oblivious to notice it.

"You cold?" he asked her, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "Those straps are a bit thin…"

Xion took her eyes off the ground and looked up at him. "I…I'm a bit cold," she replied softly. Roxas stepped a tad closer to her and wrapped an arm around her in attempt to warm her up. Xion then noticed how skinny his arms were and that he was wearing and black and white checkered wristband.

"Better?" Roxas asked with a smile.

Xion smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "Mhm," she answered quietly. "Thanks."

It was then when Roxas _knew_ that this night was going to be special. Maybe not as special as previous occasions, such as when the two first discovered love, but it would be something to remember. That is, if nothing tampered with those memories.

The rest of the walk to the theater was silent, the two just observing the happenings of the brightly-colored town. They didn't recognize anyone, but for once they weren't ashamed to be seen by the public – they looked normal after all. A few old folk they passed by even gave them a smile and wave, which they merrily returned. When at last they reached the movie theater, the same man who had given Roxas the flyer greeted them outside.

"Welcome young man!" exclaimed the man, eagerly shaking Roxas' hand. "I remember you from before, Roxas, right? Yep, I can never forget a face! Or at least not gravity-defying hair!"

Roxas touched one of his spikes in confusion as Xion let out a giggle.

The man turned his attention to Xion. "And this little lady must be your date, am I right? My, you sure picked a fine one." He shot Roxas a wink, making both Nobodies blush. "I'm Eddie Thompson, nice to meet you." Mr. Thompson stuck out hand for Xion to shake. After Xion shook it, he turned his attention back to Roxas. "Ya have the flyer?"

Roxas nodded and pulled it out from his pocket. "Right here," he replied, showing the man the paper.

Eddie Thompson took the flyer from number XIII. "Okay, just follow me." He led the two inside the theater.

The movie theater was a fairly large building; the lobby alone was superior to the spa Xion had gone to. The atmosphere was just like a movie theater too – the smell of popcorn in the air, crowds talking so loud you could barely hear yourself, and earsplitting music blasting out of the stereo system. The only time Roxas and Xion had been in such a noisy environment was the times when the organization meetings had gotten a little rowdy. The two hoped they would be out of the lobby soon.

"Right this way!" Eddie Thompson shouted over the crowd. As Roxas and Xion followed the man, the scent of popcorn grew stronger. They soon found themselves at the snack bar. "Just help yourself to some popcorn as I point you out to the ticket lady," Eddie instructed, and then he left.

Roxas and Xion looked around, feeling pretty awkward. "Oh, there's the popcorn," Roxas said loudly, pointing to a popcorn machine that was lined up against the wall. He and Xion walked over to it and took two paper cups off the rack. Roxas took his turn first, filling his cup to the brim with buttery goodness. Xion then filled her own as Roxas stood beside and watched fondly. After they were finished they found Mr. Thompson.

"Everything's in order," the man said, patting Roxas on the back. "So go in there and have some fun!" He directed them to a door and then they were on their own.

Before Roxas pushed the door open, he turned to Xion. "You excited?" he asked.

A small smile appeared on Xion's face. "Yeah," she answered. "I'm just excited to be with you."

Roxas let out a chuckle. "Xion, we're usually together, you know."

Xion placed her hand on his arm and looked at him with shining eyes. "Yes, but that doesn't take away the excitement."

Roxas took a deep breath, trying to banish all his nervousness. "Yeah, I feel the same," he told her. The two then opened the door and together entered the theater.

Over at the ticket booth, Xigbar had just arrived. "One ticket for _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_ please," he told the lady. As she attended to his order, he mumbled to himself. "I've seen this movie every night it's been playing…but getting all that juice Roxas and Xion are bound to create is worth every orc-slicing minute of it."

"Here ya are, sir," the lady told him, handing him a ticket. "Enjoy the picture."

"I will," Xigbar said craftily, patting the pack in which he kept his camera. "Believe me, I will."


	32. How to Ruin the Perfect Date

Chapter 32 – How to Ruin the Perfect Date

The theater Xion and Roxas was in was uncomfortable to say the least. The air reeked of popcorn, even more so than the lobby, and soda stains were speckled across the purple and black carpet. Also, wads of gum were carelessly stuck everywhere - under rails, the sides of chairs, in the cup holders. The theater was also very dark, crowded, and noisy. Xion and Roxas managed to squeeze their way against a wall in one of the back rows. They didn't mind that part actually – at least it was cozy. Plus, being crowded against a wall was better than being crowded against some strange fat, burping man. So they were content. Little did they know, however, that Xigbar was sitting just a row behind them, notebook and pencil in hand.

Roxas looked up at the humungous black screen, feeling a bit antsy. "That screen is so large," he mused. "Much larger than the television in the castle."

"Yeah," Xion agreed, full of wonder. "I hope it won't be too loud…I don't really do well with loud things."

Roxas peeled his eyes off the screen and turned to Xion. "You don't?" he asked, growing concerned. "Maybe it wasn't the best thing to come here then…"

Xion shook her head. "No, I'll be fine," she reassured him. "I'll be fine because you're with me." With that being said, she rested her head against his shoulder and let out a content sigh. "Never leave me, okay?"

Roxas fixed his gaze upon her and smiled. "Of course I won't leave you. Remember, we promised that on that seashell."

Xion's grin expanded as she remembered the seashell. "Right…" She stuck her hand into her pocket and felt for it. But she felt nothing. Alarmed, she sat upright. "Roxas!" she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice level down. "Roxas, the shell!"

Roxas was startled by Xion's sudden display of panic and he immediately asked, "What? What's wrong?"

"The shell! It's gone!" number XIV cried fretfully.

Roxas felt almost horrified but he tried to keep calm. He placed his hands on her shoulders in attempt to quiet her. "Now just calm down and think," he instructed.

Suddenly the screen flickered on and a thunderous female voice was heard. _"The world has changed...I feel it in the water…"_ The movie had started.

"We'll talk about this later," Roxas whispered.

Xion tried to protest but realized it was best to keep quiet, so she sat back in her chair and pouted. _"Well I might as well make the best of this," _she thought as she watched the title "The Lord of the Rings" come up on screen. The way the beginning started intrigued her, though she wasn't too fond of the strange voice.

As the explanation of the rings was played, Xigbar muttered the words simultaneously with the speaker. "Seen this a hundred times," he muttered distastefully. Suddenly a movement of Roxas in front of him caught his eye. Number XIII had wrapped an arm around his friend and they seemed to be sitting closer. Xigbar rapidly scribbled down some notes on his notepad, forgetting all about Galadriel's oration.

Now I would go into the details of the movie; however, that would be redundant and just a waste of space, so I will only give light to some of the characters' reactions to certain scenes.

The volume of the movie was awfully loud, causing some scenes to be even more frightening than they originally were. Especially the occurrences with the Black Riders. Whenever one would shriek, Xion would cringe and bury her face in Roxas' coat. Roxas was particularly fond of the scenes with Aragorn; the man's determination and courage inspired the little Nobody. Xion's favorite scenes were those with the elves; magical creatures captivated her, especially attractive ones such as Legolas. Number XIII and XIV laughed along with the audience at the Hobbits' hilarious blunders. When the scene with the Balrog came up, Xion was so petrified that she was practically in Roxas' lap. She was certain she would be having nightmares about the Mines of Moria in the future. She and Roxas were also quite fond of the scene with Aragorn and Arwen in Rivendell; it gave them a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. However, the snarling grossness of the Orcs and Uruk-hai terminated that feeling. The hideous Uruk-hai chief licking the dagger caused Xion to spill some of her popcorn.

After the 178 minute film was over, Boromir's death and the separation of the fellowship left the two Nobodies misty-eyed. Xigbar just scoffed at the last events, laughing at Sam's pathetic attempt to swim.

As soon as the end credits began to roll, Roxas asked, "That's all?" in a disappointed fashion. The person in front of him heard this and turned around to answer. That was when the recognition kicked in. "Pence?"

"Roxas? Xion?" Pence asked, pleasantly surprised. "Wow, fancy meeting you here. I thought you two would be more interested in some movie like High School Musical."

"Huh?" Xion inquired, confused. Pence just let out a chuckle and dismissed the subject.

"Anyways, this movie is a trilogy – it has three parts. The next part is being shown here next month so come back if you want," Pence informed.

Roxas nodded and then started looking around. "Hey…where are your other friends?"

Pence shrugged. "They both refused to see this movie, saying that it was worse than Barney the Dinosaur, so I went alone." He then leaned in closer. "But to tell you the truth, I think they're just scared."

Xion let out a giggle. "Oh, that's funny."

Roxas looked over at her curiously. "Why? You were practically clinging to me throughout the whole movie."

Xion blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Well you were scared too!" she insisted. "You were crunching on that popcorn so hard I bet even Frodo could hear it!" Roxas gave the girl a playful nudge in response.

Pence scanned his surroundings and realized that most of the people were heading out. "Well I'll be seeing ya," he told Roxas and Xion. And with a small wave, he headed for the exit.

Roxas was about to get up but Xion stopped him. "No, let's just sit here for a while. It'll be less crowded than the lobby after all. And then when we do leave the lobby will be less crowded too."

Number XIII leaned back more comfortably in his chair and agreed. "Okay, sounds like a good plan." He then kissed the tip of her nose, which Xigbar did not fail to capture on camera. "So, did you like the movie? Besides the scary parts I mean." He shot her a teasing grin.

"Stop!" Xion protested good-naturedly. "I liked it. It was epic."

Roxas nodded in agreement. "It was. Aragorn was cool."

Xion fingered her empty popcorn cup as she spoke. "Yeah, and Legolas was so cute!" Suddenly she noticed that there was a hurt expression on Roxas' face. "But nowhere near as cute as you!"

Roxas' lips curved back into a grin. "Thanks," he said benevolently. He gazed intently into her eyes as he continued. "Tell me what else you liked in it."

"Well…" Xion began, thinking back. "It was funny when Gandalf hit his head in Bilbo's house…also, the name Bilbo is funny."

"Yeah, it sure is," Roxas agreed with a chuckle. "Continue."

"And Merry and Pippin were very funny," she added with a giggle. "Oh, also, Aragorn reminded me of Axel."

"Then Larxene must be Arwen," Roxas snickered, finishing up the last of his popcorn. Xigbar raised an eyebrow and took note of this.

There was a moment of silence while the two Nobodies tried to remember their reactions to certain parts of the movie. "Oh, but there was one thing that bugged me," Xion spoke up.

"Yeah?" Roxas asked curiously, tearing his eyes away from his now-empty cup.

"That one elf – Galadriel," number XIV said with a shudder. "Her fingernails made her look like she had chopped off fingers. Plus, she was like a witch."

"Yeah…like Namine," Roxas put in disgustedly. "But anyways, I think I'm going to ask Axel about Arwen and Aragorn. 'Cause I didn't really understand it; he might be able to understand better." He then stood up and his chair folded back as soon as his rear left it. "Well, the lobby should be a little less crowded now. Wanna leave?"

Xion too stood up and started walking down the aisle, Roxas at her tail.

As they left the theater, Xigbar was ready to follow behind them. "Now for my master plan," he chuckled evilly to himself, patting his camera bag. "This is going to be sweet."

As soon as Xion and Roxas stepped out of the dark theater and into the lobby, Mr. Thompson greeted them – along with the noise of the crowd and the blaring music. But fortunately it wasn't as crowded as it had been before the movie.

"Did you enjoy it?" Mr. Thompson asked the two Nobodies eagerly.

Xion and Roxas nodded simultaneously. "Yeah, it was awesome," number XIII said. "Thanks for letting us see it for free."

"Well thanks for being our one thousandth passer-byer!" Eddie exclaimed. He slapped Roxas on the back, causing the boy to lurch forward. "Anyways, glad you enjoyed it. Hope you come back in a few months to see The Two Towers." Xion and Roxas gave him a nod and then he walked away, a goofy grin on his face.

Roxas and Xion then looked around for a waste basket to put their empty cups in. Number XIV spotted one first. "Over here, Roxas," she called out as she started toward the trashcan. Roxas followed her like a lost puppy, trying not to get separated in the semi-large crowd. But maybe following close to her wasn't exactly the best idea – it was soon to be proved not to be by Xigbar. As the two young Nobodies weaved their way through the throng, Xigbar followed stealthily behind them, camera ready. Just when they had got into an opening, the Freeshooter made his move. He thrust his hands against Roxas' back, pushing the boy forward. This caused him to collide with Xion, and they both crashed to the ground. The worst part was that Xion's short dress had gone up, revealing a not-too-pretty sight – her panties. And Roxas was practically on top of that part, too. The two were so flabbergasted by the events that had just taken place that for a few seconds they just lay there, speechless.

"Smile!" Xigbar exclaimed with a laugh, taking a few pictures. Other people in the lobby stopped and stared for a while but said nothing. "Oh, the look on your faces is priceless!" number II exclaimed.

Roxas suddenly realized what had happened and he flew up off of Xion, his face beet red. He then immediately helped Xion up, whose face was also exceedingly crimson. "I'm sorry!" he exclaimed helplessly.

"It's not your fault!" she replied, straightening her dress. "It's Xigbar's!" She shot him a nasty glare. "You're such a pervert!"

Xigbar chuckled at their distress. "Yeah, but the Organization will think that _Roxas_ is the pervert when they get a look at these pictures." He smiled with satisfaction as he put his camera back in his bag. "With that and some others I took earlier, this shall make a GREAT feature story!"

Roxas growled in rage. "You're not going to get away with doing this to Xion!" he exclaimed. With keyblade in hand, he lunged forward at the Freeshooter. One second earlier and he would have nailed him too, but number XII was too fast for him. He disappeared without a trace. Roxas walked back to his embarrassed friend, thwarted. "Xion, I'm so sorry! I-it just happened too fast! I wish I could have done something."

Xion let out a sigh, trying to get over her humiliation. "I don't blame you…" She then looked him directly in the eye with a pleading expression. "Just please forget everything you saw!"

"Of course," Roxas replied. "And even if I can't catch Xigbar today, he will NOT get away with this! Mark my words!" There was a spark of determination in his azure eyes.

"Thanks," Xion said quietly. "I…I'll eventually get over this. Now let's RTC before I get embarrassed even more."

Roxas nodded silently, feeling remorseful for number XIV. And that is how their first date came to a close.

As they headed out of the building, a lone man in the shadows watched them intently. "What an interesting show," he mused.

* * *

Xigbar strode down the halls pompously, anticipating working on the issue for the next day. "This is going to be almost as great as the one revealing their love!" he cackled to himself. "Xemnas might be so outraged by this exhibition that he might forbid their love! This is perfect!" He was about to turn down the hall towards his room when a voice stopped him.

"Xigbar, stop."

Xigbar complained and turned around, anxious to see the owner of the voice. It was Marluxia, the Graceful Assassin. "What do you want?" Xigbar asked distastefully.

Marluxia stepped a bit closer. "I know of what you plan to make tomorrow's issue of _The Xigbar Daily_ about," he began.

"Well good for you," Xigbar shrugged. He was about to turn away when Marluxia stopped him.

"Please, don't do it," number XI appealed.

Xigbar laughed. "What, don't tell me you're looking out for them too, now," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Marluxia shook his head. "No. But you see, if Namine sees it…well she's already had enough hurt for one visit. She'll be gone in a few days. You can publish it then."

"And what makes you think I'm going to wait?" Xigbar asked, pointing both hands at him. "I'm in a business, I need to make munny."

There was a moment of silence before Marluxia spoke. "I…I'll pay you 5,000 munny if you hold this one off," he said.

Xigbar paused. The offer sure was tempting. "Man, you must care about this Namine a lot," he muttered with a grin. He then stuck out his hand. "All right, it's a deal. That is, if you have the dough."

Marluxia sighed and opened up his wallet to the Freeshooter. _"There goes my munny to buy Larxene a present."_

_

* * *

_

Xion entered her bedroom, feeling terribly upset. Sure, the kiss at the end of the date was sweet, but the humiliation beforehand was simply awful! Not to mention the fact that she lost her precious seashell. "Why does life hate me?" she asked herself bitterly. As she approached her vanity to brush her hair, something caught her eye. There, on the vanity, was a piece of paper. And on that paper was a drawing; a drawing of herself and Roxas and hearts all around. And beside that paper was a seashell. But not just any seashell; it was _the_ seashell. The shell she had thought was lost forever. Seeing this almost brought a tear to number XIV's eye. "Who could have drawn such a nice picture…and have returned my shell?"


	33. Bizarre Dreams

Chapter 33 – Bizarre Dreams

Marluxia walked down the halls of The Castle That Never Was, heading for his room. Most of the members were already asleep, so he walked with care, making sure not to disturb them. Xaldin and Larxene got exceptionally cantankerous when woken up by a careless Nobody. His mind overflowed with thoughts about Namine and Castle Oblivion and Sora. Suddenly he spotted a road block, causing him to stop. In the middle of the hallway stood Namine.

"Marluxia…" the girl in white began slowly. "Can I talk to you?"

Number XI nodded. "Sure, Namine." They then both started walking side-by-side. "What's on your mind?"

Namine paused to take in a deep breath before replying. "I…I felt bad about stealing Xion's seashell…"

Marluxia raised a pink eyebrow. "Oh?"

The girl nodded solemnly. "Yes…so…I returned it." She cringed and closed her eyes, expecting Marluxia to scold her.

Marluxia stopped, somewhat surprised by Namine's actions. "Why…would you do that?"

Namine looked down at her large feet, ashamed. "Because…I'm just not used to being mean. I just want to be their friends…I even drew them a picture…"

The Graceful Assassin shook his head calmly, maintaining his composure. "Namine, Namine, Namine," he chided. "If you want Roxas, you have to _fight_. Befriending them won't help any. Now I think I've almost come up with a plan. So just rest your little head tonight and I'll inform you in the morning." He placed his index finger under her chin for a moment and then turned and walked away, leaving her.

"But…" she whispered.

* * *

Marluxia let out a heavy sigh as he entered his room and closed the door behind him. "I promised Namine," he muttered, rubbing his sore temples. "What can I do…?" He searched every inch of his mind, trying to produce the perfect scheme. "Removing his memories of her won't work…" He took a seat in front of his desk and started to lightly sketch stick figures on a paper. "Then…maybe wiping their minds clean would work…" Suddenly he looked up. "That's it! Have Namine erase their memories completely!" He was satisfied with his plan, made a few notes in his confidential notebook, and then turned in. He was so exhausted that he forgot to change; he went to bed in his organization coat. But he did not sleep peacefully. No, he had the most peculiar dreams.

"_I've been entrusted this castle and Namine by our leader."_

"_What to do? Your hero is soon to be wiped from existence. But I believe there was a certain promise that he made you. Isn't that right, Namine?"_

"_Rejoice, Namine. The time is near for you to meet the hero that you've been longing for."_

"_Are you listening, Sora? Axel says he's willing to harm Namine to get me. You won't let that happen, will you?"_

"_Namine…erase Sora's memory."_

"_That's right. Sora's heart will be destroyed."_

"_Namine…do it."_

"_Then you will…"_

Marluxia sat up abruptly. His head was aching severely and beads of sweat were pouring down his forehead. He placed his face in his palms and almost felt like crying out of confusion. "So…Namine was the one in Castle Oblivion?" he asked out helplessly. "I…abused her?" He struggled to get out of bed, still holding his pounding head. "Does she know?" He then lifted his head up from his hands and looked into his mirror. He was surprised to find that his eyes were red. Number XI wondered why he was acting so feeble…like Vexen. "Then…then why is she allowing me to help her?" As he walked over to his desk he pondered some more out loud. "But…if she doesn't know but somehow finds out…she will leave before I can help her. And those two keyblading Nobodies will remain together…" He shuddered at the thought of Roxas and Xion getting their way. He stooped down and grabbed the plans from his desk. "No! That is why I must go tell Namine my plans immediately!" As he rushed out of his room, he failed to notice the time on his clock; it was evident he had overslept.

* * *

Xion sat on one of the couches in the Grey Room, waiting for Roxas to arrive. She was grateful that he was going to be her partner for her mission, but she was still greatly upset about the previous night. "It would have been perfect!" she grumbled. "If Xigbar hadn't interfered!" Suddenly she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, so she looked up to see Roxas standing there. Roxas sensed her distress and took a seat next to her.

"Hey, Xi…what's wrong?" number XIII asked, concern in his azure eyes.

Xion let out a sigh. "I'm still upset about last night," she admitted. "It was so embarrassing! I don't ever want to go to Twilight Town again!"

"Well don't worry," Roxas began, slipping his arm around her. "Our mission is in Halloween Town today. I asked for Agrabah…but once again Saix refused."

Number XIV nodded solemnly. "Have you heard from Larxene yet?" she asked, suddenly remembering that the Savage Nymph had supposedly hacked into the superior's computer.

Roxas shook his head. "No, sorry. We'll have to check with her after our mission today I guess."

Xion nodded again, feeling a sense of hopelessness. They couldn't go to Agrabah to find out why she was alive, and they hadn't heard from Larxene either. The only thing good was what she had found the previous night. She slowly took the seashell out of her pocket. "Roxas…I found our shell...in my room last night."

Upon seeing the shell, Roxas jumped in excitement. "That's wonderful!" he explained gleefully. "But how did it get there?" He took the shell in his hands and turned it over a few times, admiring its beauty.

"I don't know," Xion answered. "But I found this next to it." She produced a folded up paper from her pocket and handed it to Roxas. The boy returned the shell to his friend and unfolded the paper.

He sat there in awe for a few moments before speaking. "It's…a picture of us…together. But who could have…?"

"I don't know…" the girl replied, shaking her head. "It could be Demyx…but I didn't think he could draw."

"Yeah…" Roxas murmured, taking a closer look at the artwork. "I've seen a few of Axel's drawings…but I know this isn't his drawing style."

As the two young Nobodies pondered over the mysterious drawing, Namine was concealed by a plant in the corner of the room. She couldn't help but smile at the way they were taking her gift. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. _"What if I follow them on their mission? Maybe I can do something Marluxia would be proud of?"_ She then noticed Roxas and Xion open the dark corridor and depart.

* * *

Marluxia raced down the halls, causing some passer-byers to stare. He had already checked Namine's room and the breakfast hall, but she was nowhere to be found. As he ran, he passed by Axel.

"Woah there, mighty number XI, where are you going in such a rush?" Axel asked, his back leaning against the wall. This caused Marluxia to halt.

"Axel, have you seen Namine?" he asked, trying to hide the urgency in his voice.

Axel shook his head. "Nope. And might I say it was a pleasant breakfast without her."

Marluxia just ignored that remark and continued on his way. Soon he found himself in the Grey Room. But the only person there was Saix. He approached Saix carefully, making sure number VII wouldn't suspect anything. "Saix, do you know where Namine is?"

Saix looked up from his clipboard and raised an eyebrow. "No," he replied. "But if _you_ don't know, the superior may not be too happy."

Marluxia just nodded and left the Grey Room. As he wandered down the labyrinth of halls, he fingered the plans in his pocket. "Where could she be?"


	34. Oh Little Heartless

Chapter 34 – Oh Little Heartless

"Yes! Finally a game you know _how_ to play a game!"

Xigbar and Demyx were sitting on a couch in the rec. room, eyes glued to the TV screen. With Wii remotes held horizontally in their hands and cheerful music blaring out of the sound system, anyone could tell what they were playing. New Super Mario Bros Wii. Xigbar controlled Mario as player 1, and Demyx was Luigi as player 2.

"Told you I wasn't stupid!" Demyx replied, sticking his tongue out. However, the momentary distraction caused Demyx's green-clad plumber to run right into a goomba, causing him to lose a life.

Xigbar gazed at the screen in horror at his lost comrade. "I sit corrected." He then let out a sign and turned off the Wii. "Demyx…you stink."

The Melodious Nocturne just grinned nervously at Xigbar's glare. "Well…we could play something else. How's about Mario Kart Wii?"

The Freeshooter shook his head. "Nah, too easy. You always drive off a cliff and I win too easily. It used to be fun but…now it's getting old."

Demyx slumped back in the couch, trying to think of other games. "Well what about Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games?"

Xigbar shook his head. "No way. You always insist on doing team bobsleigh though you ALWAYS steer the opposite direction."

Demyx searched his brain some more. "Hm…Super Mario Strikers?"

Number II got up suddenly. "No! What's up with you and Mario anyways?" In rage, he got in front of Demyx and grabbed him by the collar. "Plumbers are supposed to be your enemies! Plumbers fix pipes! You wreck pipes! No. Plumbers!"

"Am I interrupting anything?" came a voice. Xigbar and Demyx looked to the doorway to see Marluxia standing there. Xigbar slowly released Demyx and retook his seat on the couch. Marluxia gracefully made his way to number II and IX.

Demyx shook his head. "No. Xigbar's just racist." Xigbar shot him a glare but said nothing.

Marluxia eyed Demyx for a moment, confused. Then he changed the subject. "What are you two doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on a mission?"

Demyx turned to Xigbar questionably. "Yeah, Xiggy, what's up with that?"

"We are supposed to be researching on the computers right now," Xigbar explained. He then stood up and headed for the door. "But this kid got me distracted."

Demyx too got up and followed his friend. "I'm not a kid!" was the last thing Marluxia could hear before they were out of sight.

Marluxia scanned the room, eyeing the Wii remotes especially. He was tempted to play a round with Mario and his bro, but he had work to do. "It's a shame…I didn't get to ask them if they had seen Namine."

* * *

Roxas watched from the sidelines, quite impressed, as Xion single-handedly look out a band of Snowy Crystals. After she had collected the last heart, she turned to Roxas and smiled. "Is that the last of them in this area?"

Roxas walked up to her with a friendly smile. "Yeah, and you did great. You really are a keyblade master."

Despite how warm and sincere Roxas' compliment was, Xion felt depressed. "Because I'm a replica…" She hung her head in shame.

Roxas let out a sigh and gently titled her chin up with his index finger. "I've told you this before; that doesn't matter to me. Even though countless people say we don't belong together, I believe we do." He gazed tenderly into her oh-so-similar blue eyes.

As there was a moment of silence, Roxas trying to bring Xion out of her state of gloom with his caring smile, Namine peered over from behind a cold brick wall. When she saw them, she let out a depressed sigh. _"I wish he could have those eyes on me,"_ she thought.

At length, Xion spoke. "I don't know…but it's hard to be cheery when everyone hates me." The sorrow in number XIV's voice caused Roxas to pull her into a comforting hug.

"Xion, don't think that," he told her, running his fingers through her silky black hair.

Xion let out a sniffle as her tears started to soak Roxas' coat. "But it's true…Saix hates me, Marluxia hates me, Namine hates me, and Xigbar especially hates me. What he did was just awful…" Another tear splashed onto Roxas' shoulder.

Roxas soothingly rubbed his friend's back in a circular motion, trying his best to comfort her. "You're right, and I'll never forgive Xigbar. I'll avenge you, don't worry. Even if it takes an entire army of Samurai Nobodies, I'll teach that pedo perv a lesson."

Xion tightened her grip on Roxas, truly thankful for a friend like him. "Please don't tell anyone, okay? Not even Axel."

Roxas closed his eyes and continued rubbing her back. "Don't worry…I won't." Then suddenly the horrible truth about Xigbar's magazine came into recollection. "I won't have to," he said, his voice thick with fear. "They'll find out soon enough."

As Xion shed a few more tears in result of that reminder, Namine wondered what in oblivion could they be talking about. Suddenly a gesture on Roxas' part caught her attention. Number XIII was bringing his face awfully close to Xion's. Namine was almost certain what the outcome would be. She had to think fast.

"Whatever happens, I'll be there to back you up," Roxas whispered, his lips only centimeters away from number XIV's. He was about to pull Xion into an osculation that was sure to have comforted her when suddenly there was a loud noise behind him. He turned around quickly, leaving a very disappointed Nobody behind. He too was disappointed to learn that the noise was in result of Namine's appearance, and that she had evidentially been following them. "Um…can we help you?" the Key of Destiny asked, rather annoyed. He could hear his little number XIV letting out another sniffle behind him.

Namine shrugged, trying to seem ambiguous. "I was just curious as to how you defeat Heartless."

Roxas highly doubted that was why she was following them, but he decided not to argue. "Whatever, well we're done with this mission anyways." He then turned back to Xion. "I'm sorry," he told number XIV. "Let's head back." He offered her his hand which she took possessively, glaring all the while at Namine.

Namine just stood there a while, dumbfounded, until Roxas opened the dark corridor. Then an idea struck her. "Wait!"

Roxas and Xion reluctantly stopped, even though Roxas had already stuck his foot through the dark corridor. "What do you want?" he asked, irritated.

Namine felt a little intimidated by Roxas' aggravated tone, but she tried not to let it bother her. "Can I…eat ice cream with you today?"

Both Roxas and Xion looked startled. They hadn't expected that she would ever ask that. Number XIII glared at her suspiciously. "Why…are you planning to push Xion off the tower or something?"

"What?" Namine asked, shocked. "N-no! I just want to be your friend! That's why I drew you that picture!"

Xion and Roxas stepped back, flabbergasted. They both found themselves speechless. Xion, this time, was the first to find her voice. "You want to be our friend? Then why did you hurt Roxas?"

Namine looked down to the ground, ashamed. But she said nothing.

Xion started to get aggravated. She had stood by on the sidelines just listening to what the witch had done for too long now, and it was time to take action. To let Namine know how she really felt. "Why?" the girl exclaimed, stepping closer to Namine. "Why did you hurt him?"

Namine was taken aback by Xion's harshness, causing her to cower and momentarily lose her voice.

The lack of reply from Namine made Xion's anger boil. "You can't just try to take Roxas' memories away from him! You can't hurt him! You don't understand how much he means to me! Without Roxas I would be a nothing! But…he makes me feel like I'm actually not just a Nobody! And even though we are Nobodies, he has feelings too! So you can't just hurt him! You can't!" Xion was so outraged that Roxas had to hold her back from attacking Namine.

As Xion tried to break free from Roxas' grasp, breathing heavily, Namine stared in shock, her blue eyes gigantic. She saw the worry in Roxas' eyes and how fumed Xion looked. She stepped back a bit and put her hand up to her cheek. "How…how can this be?"

"Can what be?" Roxas asked irritably, wondering why he was preventing Xion from lashing out at the white witch.

Namine looked the couple over once more before speaking. "You two are Nobodies…as am I…We have no hearts. Yet you two…" She paused for another moment of deep thought before continuing. "Maybe it has to do with the strength of Sora's heart…"

Xion stopped her monstrous ways and tilted her head. "Sora's heart?"

Namine, who had been staring at the ground in thought, lifted her head and smiled. "Yes! That's it! If you two let me eat ice cream with you, I'll tell you."

Roxas and Xion exchanged quizzical glances but finally agreed. "Okay," Roxas said. "But only this once. And I'm going to be holding onto Xion tight so you can't push her off." He then wrapped an arm around Xion's waist and led her into the dark corridor with him.

As Namine followed them, she smiled to herself. _"I may be losing a companion…but these two Nobodies are so fascinating!"_

_

* * *

_

Zexion strolled around his library, sighing inwardly. As he passed countless shelves of books, he made sure they were all lined up evenly. That was something he enjoyed to do when he didn't have his nose buried in a depressing tragedy novel. But this particular day he wasn't feeling too jubilant. He had lent Lexaeus the book he had been practically devouring for the last few days, and now he found himself rather bored.

"Why did I have to finish my recon mission so quickly?" Zexion asked himself, wiping the dust off one of the shelves with his finger. "Now there's nothing to do." As he walked past the innumerable books, one book in particular caught his eye. Its binding was thick and spotless white. Out of curiosity he took the book off the shelf and read the front cover. The title was "The Lethe of Castle Oblivion". "Hmm…" the cloaked schemer mused, slightly brushing blue strands out of his eyes. With care (for it was an old book), he opened it up and read the first page. "Dedicated to Axel, Larxene, Marluxia, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion." As soon as he read that, his eyes filled with wonder and inquisitiveness. He was about to turn the next page when…

Pain. Searing pain. It shocked his head like a lightning bolt, causing the book to falter out of his grasp and tumble to the marble floor. He dropped to his knees, screaming silently, all the while clutching his head. Suddenly he could hear faint voices, echoing through his mind.

"_Wouldn't you like to be real? All you need is the kind of power that the real Riku doesn't have. If you can get that you can be a new person, not Riku, nor anybody else. You won't just be a copy of someone, you will be unique. Your own self."_

"_Axel! What are you saying to him?"_

"_You know, he's as good a place to start as any."_

"_You can't do this! Noh! Ngh… … . . ."_

"_So sorry, Zexion. You just found out way too much."_

As the last syllable of Axel's speech faded out of his mind, Zexion collapsed.

* * *

Larxene sat at her desk and pondered, her left hand holding up her head drowsily. In her right hand was a piece of paper that had been folded in quarters, but was now unfolded and lay flat on her desk. The paper contained scribbled down information she had found while hacking into Xemnas' computer. There was one note she had taken in particular the puzzled her. She read it aloud to herself, hoping she could comprehend it.

"Rejuvenated members: Marluxia, Larxene, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, and Xion," Larxene read. She contemplated hard, but she could not cognize it. "Maybe…those voices in my head meant something…maybe I did die." She was concentrating so hard on her notes that when her door opened, she jumped. As her blood rushed faster than usual through her veins, she turned around to face her intruder. A tall hooded figure stood there silently. When Larxene produced her knives, however, he revealed himself. He daintily removed his hood and shook his rose-colored hair. "Marluxia," Larxene muttered.

"Greetings, Larxene," Marluxia said in his uniform monotone voice.

Larxene rolled her turquoise eyes and turned back around in her chair. "What do you want, flower boy?"

Marluxia stepped a bit closer, tensing up at the tone of Larxene's voice. "Just a fair chance," was his response.

Larxene slammed her palms on the desk and turned around again to face him. "Oh please, enough with this. Go play with your little Barbie doll or something."

"I don't know where she is…" Marluxia answered quietly. "She left the castle…and hasn't returned yet."

"Well look who's going to be in trouble with the superior," Larxene mocked, resting her head in her hands. "Please, I have no time for you, fuchsia."

The Graceful Assassin took another step forward. "The name is Marluxia," he said, gritting his teeth.

Larxene sighed dully. "Marluxia, fuchsia, what's the difference? Now would you kindly leave? I have an ice cream date with Axel in about six minutes."

The mention of Axel's name caused Marluxia's blood to boil. He just couldn't stand it anymore. "Why are you going after Axel?" he exclaimed.

Larxene was somewhat surprised at number XI's sudden outburst. She then turned back around in her chair, facing her desk. "Because…I love him."

Marluxia let out a groan. He had become fed up with all this talk about love: from Roxas, from Xion, from Namine. And now from Larxene. Yet little did he know that that was what he was yearning for. He tried to calm himself down by taking a few short breaths. When he felt calm enough, he approached Larxene, stopping right by her chair. "Love is a myth, Larxene. Nothing more."

Larxene shook her head stubbornly. "No. You lie."

Marluxia rested his hand on the back of Larxene's chair. "Okay, then give me some proof that Nobodies can love."

"Roxas and Xion," Larxene answered instantly.

Marluxia shook his head. "No, no, no. You're forgetting a key aspect, Larxene. Roxas and Xion are both connected to Sora. And Sora's heart is unyielding. Because of that, it is very possible that Roxas has a fragment of a heart within him. And as for that little replica…she is not a Nobody at all. She may very well have a heart as well."

"But!" Larxene protested. But Marluxia cut her off.

"But you, Oh little Heartless, aren't like them," Marluxia said in a slithery voice. He leaned down so that his lips were right by her ear. "You don't have a heart. So therefore…you cannot love." Marluxia was taking quite a risk, for he knew that when the Savage Nymph grew enraged, she showed no mercy.

Larxene had had enough. She was already perplexed by the voices in her head and the information she had found, and Marluxia was just making it worse. She flew out of her chair and raised her fists. "Leave now, you deluder, or you'll leave in seven million different pieces!"

Marluxia knew this was his cue to exit, so he scurried to the door. But before he left, he uttered one final phrase. "Just remember what I said, Oh little Heartless."

Larxene let out a high-pitched shriek and flopped onto her bed in frustration. This was the first time in her Nobody life that she had felt so emotional. She actually felt tears forming in her eyes. "Axel…"


	35. Grey Room Conversations

Chapter 35 – Grey Room Conversations

The following morning was a rather busy one; Heartless were crawling all over the worlds so Saix made up the mission roster that everyone would have to go solo. He also urged people quite annoyingly to hurry up and pick up their pace. As the members had groggily dragged themselves down the hallway, number VII would come up behind them and wake them up completely. So unlike the lethargic mornings in the path, the Grey Room was now buzzing with activity. A line had actually formed in front of Moogle.

However, there was one member who when Saix barked at, barked right back. Larxene. She was in an even fouler mood than usual because of her conversation with Marluxia the previous night. So as she made her way down the halls, she grumbled bitterly to herself. "Who says Nobodies can't love? Marluxia is just jealous. That son of a…" Suddenly she stopped. A face flashed through her mind – a handsome face with bright green eyes and dark streaks under his eyes. "Axel…I've got to see Axel…" She picked up her pace and was now practically running. The only reason the dusks could think up of the Savage Nymph actually wanting to go to the Grey Room was that she was chasing after someone, moving in for the kill. The world had yet to see a changed Larxene.

* * *

Axel stopped gathering up potions to let out a yawn. The Flurry of Dancing Flames wasn't used to getting up so early. And Saix's yelling didn't seem to affect him either; he knew how to irritate number VII fairly easily.

Saix noticed that Axel had paused in getting his gear ready so he walked up behind him. "Axel, pick up the pace!"

Axel turned around, a smirk already on his face. "What's the matter, Isa? Wrong time of month?"

Saix startled to grumble. "Obstinate Lea," he muttered as he retook his post at the front of his room.

Axel didn't even have to time to let out a victory laugh before his two companions showed up. "Hey small fries!" he greeted enthusiastically. Roxas and Xion just nodded, obviously still tired. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the clock tower yesterday; vinegar-puss Saix gave me some desk work."

Xion and Roxas both took a seat on the couch Axel was standing beside. "That's okay," number XIV replied.

"Yeah, though I wish you had been there. It was so awkward," Roxas added, eyeing the floor.

Axel raised an eyebrow and leaned his back against the armrest. "Oh was it now?" he asked curiously.

Xion nodded. "Yeah. Namine was there."

Axel stepped back a bit at the news, almost crushing one of his potion bottles. "She was? You…let her?"

Roxas brought his hand up and stroked his chin. "Yeah…it was quite strange. She didn't seem to hate Xion anymore…"

"But she could have been trying to trick us," Xion added in quickly.

"That's very interesting," Axel remarked, getting intrigued. He took a seat on the armrest and eagerly waited for more information.

As Roxas talked, he absentmindedly played around with his gloves. "Yeah…and she told us all about Sora and Castle Oblivion. Well not all…she said some parts were cloudy."

At the mention of Sora and Castle Oblivion, a sharp pain shot through Axel's head. He tried his hardest to ignore it, so it went away after a few seconds.

"Odd," Axel remarked, staring off into the distance. He then looked down to see his two friends wanting him to say more. "As for Namine, keep your eye out. She may be just tricking you with this niceness." He was about to say more but Saix showed up once again.

"Axel, your mission in Wonderland," he said testily, tapping his foot.

Axel rolled his eyes and collected the rest of his things. "Right away, your highness," he replied with a mocking bow. Saix just grunted and yet again returned to his post. Number VIII opened the dark corridor but before entering, turned around and addressed Roxas and Xion. "You two stay out of trouble, got it memorized? And after our missions you're going to tell me how your date went." And with that, he exited the castle.

Xion and Roxas exchanged nervous looks. Roxas stuck out his arm and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we won't tell him about what Xigbar did."

Xion nodded and for the first time in a while a smile graced her lips. "Thanks, Roxas." And as Roxas and Xion were spending a few moments smiling at each other, Larxene rushed in, having an uncharacteristically frantic expression on her face. And this didn't go unnoticed to the members, especially Xigbar.

"Where's Axel?" Larxene blurted out as she skidded to a stop in front of Roxas and Xion, forgetting all her pride.

Xigbar casually walked up to them, a "reporter's" expression on his face. "Why so anxious, Savage Nymph? That expression on your face doesn't exactly say 'I'm going to tear him up', now does it?" He shot her a wink.

Larxene let out a growl, feeling her savage side return. "Xigbar, shut it!" she exclaimed, shooting a powerful lightning beam at the Freeshooter. And for the first time in Roxas and Xion's life, they witnessed Xigbar cower and yelp as he ran back to his couch, fried. Larxene smiled sadistically and dusted of her hands, satisfied that she had regained her reputation. Then, practically choking Roxas and Xion, she pulled them into a tight huddle. "Guys, where is Axel?"

Roxas pawed for his neck. "Can't….breath…." He saw Xion doing the same.

Larxene suddenly realized how strong her grip was so she released them. After Roxas and Xion were finished gasping for air, number XII repeated her question. "Well, where is he? I need to talk to him!"

Roxas rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Sorry…he just left…"

At that, Larxene felt as if she was about to explode. She wanted to grab Roxas and strangle him, but she knew she'd never hear the end of it from Xion, who she was supposed to be friends with. So, trying not to cause much of a scene, she opened the dark corridor and left.

"I wonder what's wrong…" Xion wondered as she stared at the empty space where the dark corridor had once stood.

"Maybe something happened…" Roxas suggested.

As Roxas and Xion were worrying over Axel and Larxene, Namine was sitting quietly in a corner and drawing a picture of all the Organization members. "When Sora wakes up," she said to herself, wiping the crayon shavings off her sketchpad. "If I can get him to remember me, that is…maybe I could tell him about my visit here. And how Organization XIII is so nice." Suddenly she felt someone standing over her, so she lifted her head up to see Marluxia.

"Namine, where were you yesterday?" the Graceful Assassin asked.

Namine looked back to her sketch and started to shade in Xaldin's hair. "I decided to hang out with Roxas and Xion…" she replied softly.

Marluxia folded his arms across his chest. "Oh really? Did you do anything to them?"

The girl in white shook her head instantly. "No! And I-I…" She then lowered her head in shame. "I don't know if I want Roxas after all…"

Marluxia sighed and rested his hand on the back of Namine's chair. "Namine…this isn't right. You are Kairi's Nobody…you belong with Roxas. That replica does not." He wore a stern expression as he shook his head.

"I know, but!" Namine protested, but number XI cut her short.

"If you're wise, you'll go along with the plan I have thought up. All you need to do is…"

"No!" Namine exclaimed suddenly, standing up. "I don't know if I can…they're just so cute together…"

Marluxia raised a pink eyebrow. "But don't you want to be with the Nobody you're destined to be with?"

Namine glanced over at Roxas and then back at Marluxia. "But…I don't know." Her arms hung loosely in front of her, defeated. "I would feel bad…let me think about it."

Marluxia nodded. "All right. But today is your last day staying here. You better make up your mind quick," he told her.

Namine nodded, gathered up her art supplies, and then left the Grey Room. As Marluxia stood there in thought, something caught his eye. Roxas and Xion were sitting on the couch and Roxas was tickling number XIV, causing her to burst out with giggles. They both laughed joyously and seemed as if they had not a care in the world. "They make love seem so real…" Marluxia muttered in awe. "Is this really the right thing to do?" He felt a pang of guilt hit him in the chest, causing him to sit down before he collapsed. However, the chair he placed his seat in was Namine's chair – it was small and he looked rather ridiculous in it. A few members snickered and pointed, but number XI was too full with thought to notice.

On one of the couches a short desistance away sat part of the 'science crew' – Vexen and Lexaeus.

"Look at that idiot Marluxia!" Vexen giggled, thinking the Graceful Assassin's choice of seating was oh-too-funny. "He's sitting in a chair 4 times too small!" He started laughing hysterically, swaying back and force. He even slapped Lexaeus' knee, which caused the Silent Hero to glare at him. Vexen calmed himself down and cowered at Lexaeus' glare. "Well…uh…I thought it was funny…"

Lexaeus just grunted. After a moment of silence, number V spoke. "How is Zexion?"

"He's coming along nicely," the scientist replied. "Though I think it is inequitable that he gets the day off and we have to work harder. Still, I can't figure out why he fainted." Vexen stroked his chin ponderously. "He doesn't have a medical record of fainting spells…maybe it was something he read…" Suddenly he burst out laughing. "Yes, I've skimmed through some of those romance novels he reads and I could see how that could make him faint!"

Lexaeus' face remained untouched by Vexen's "humor." He was particularly fond of Zexion's choices in literature. "Not funny," he grumbled.

Vexen pouted. "Lexaeus, you have no sense of humor whatsoever!" Lexaeus kept a straight face and didn't respond. "And neither did Zexion, now that I think about it. Why does the science crew have to be so boring?" Again no response from Lexaeus. "Bah!" number IV exclaimed, annoyed. "I don't need the likes of you! I'd rather hang out with itty-bitty-booty over there." He pointed to Marluxia who was trying to wriggle his way out from the small chair that was clinging to his rear.

While Vexen watched Marluxia's attempts some more, Xigbar was wiping the ashes off his coat and planning out devious titles for the next day's magazine. "Scandalous…no…hm, what's the word…." He thought for a bit longer but couldn't come up with the right word. "I wonder if that weak-knees schemer will lend me one of his dictionaries…" Suddenly he recalled something. "Even if he doesn't, it won't matter, I can always buy 50 dictionaries with that loot Marluxia gave me! …Seriously, why does he care that much for that witch? Hm…this may make a good story…" He then turned and snapped a picture of Roxas and Xion in their buffoonery.

* * *

In his private quarters Xemnas sat, pondering in the dim light. "If my plan goes accordingly, this Namine shall bring Sora to us…and we'll have him under our thumb. And when we have someone under our thumb, we like to squeeze a little…"


	36. Forgive Me, Zexion

Chapter 36 – Forgive Me, Zexion

As Lumiere turned the other corner, Roxas and Xion immerged from the shadows of Beast's Castle's interior. "That was close," Xion breathed, still grasping Roxas' hand tightly. Roxas just let out a nervous laugh. Xion turned to face Roxas completely and smiled, her blue eyes shining. "I'm so glad you're my partner, Roxas. It makes me feel stronger."

Roxas grinned. "It makes me feel stronger too, Xi. But…come to think of it…it wasn't always like that."

The smile on Xion's face dissipated and she nodded, knowing what Roxas was referring to. "Which reminds me…I hope we go to Agrabah soon. And I hope we can talk to Larxene soon too."

"Oh right!" Roxas realized. "Man, I almost forgot about that."

"We also forgot that the day after out beach trip we were going to prank Xigbar," Xion informed, nodding gravely.

Roxas slapped his head. "Gee, Xion, I'm sorry!" he apologized. "I just keep forgetting things."

Xion put her hand on number XIII's shoulder. "Don't worry, Rokusy, I'm forgetting them too. We've just been busy with other things, like worrying about…well you know."

Roxas nodded. Suddenly his lips curved into a smile. "Rokusy? Xi, how do you come up with these nicknames?"

Number XIV let out a giggle and she playfully nudged her friend. "Silly!"

Roxas was about to return the favor when a few Bulky Vendors flew past them. The two immediately summoned their keyblades. "Heartless!" he exclaimed, and he started to race after them. Xion was right beside him, creating the perfect Heartless exterminating team.

Not too far away from where the two younger Nobodies were engaging in combat, in a small room, sat Namine. She had followed the pair again, but this time rather than spying, she just sat in a chair and drew pictures. She was currently working on a picture of herself and Roxas fighting the Heartless inside the walls of Beast's Castle. She had given up _almost_ all hope that Roxas would ever be hers, but she still had an ounce of expectation left. And so she drew.

"This is better than being in that castle," Namine told herself as she worked. "Marluxia is upset with me anyways." She paused to take a good look at her work in progress. "Well tonight I'll show him this drawing. He may be proud of me again." A wistful sigh escaped her lips as she stared down at the Roxas she drew. She could hear the grunts and battle cries he made while fighting from the hall, and she once again yearned for him. "Those excited blue eyes…that sandy hair…that adorable smile…why does the replica get him?" Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a soft tapping sound. Curious to see what was causing the noise, Namine looked over her shoulder. When she caught glimpse of the passer-byer, she couldn't believe her eyes. There, waddling across the floor, was a teapot! It even had a face!

As soon as the teapot noticed Namine, it stopped. "Well hello there," it said. One could tell by its voice that it was female. "I didn't know we had company."

"I-I'm sorry!" Namine stuttered, still shocked. "I-I followed my friends here."

Oddly enough, the teapot smiled. "That's all right, Deary. Welcome to Beast's Castle. What is your name?"

Namine stared for a bit longer, still amazed by the fact she was talking to a teapot. "N-Namine."

"Nice to meet you Namine," she said with a slight bow. "My name is Mrs. Potts."

Namine forced herself to smile; frowning would be considered rude. "Well nice to meet you." A stretch of awkward silence followed, Namine intently observing the animate teapot. At length, she spoke. "S-so…have you always been a teapot?"

Mrs. Potts shook her spout. "Oh no, only after the curse," she replied.

Namine looked puzzled. "The curse?"

"Yes, but that's a long story," the teapot answered, dismissing the subject. "So, what are you doing here?"

She looked down at her sketchpad. "Oh…just drawing," she responded with a shrug.

"Oh, may I see?" Mrs. Potts asked curiously. She started to hop up, hoping she could catch a glimpse of it.

Namine let out a sigh, too kind to refuse. She reached down and held her sketchpad at the teapot's level.

After observing the drawing for a few moments, the teapot spoke. "It's very nice. Who's that you're fighting ants with?"

Namine felt her face redden. "His…name is Roxas," she replied slowly.

"He looks very nice," Mrs. Potts commented. "Must be a nice friend."

At the mention of the word friend, Namine began to feel guilty. "Well…not really," she answered quietly.

"Oh?" the teapot asked, raising an eyebrow.

There was a moment of reluctance before the girl in white explained. "No…he's friends with a black-haired girl…who I'm jealous of."

Mrs. Potts sighed and shook her spout disapprovingly. "Jealous always ruins a friendship, or in this case a chance of friendship, my dear," she told her.

"I know…" Namine replied, nervously rubbing her arm. "If you want to make a friend, you have to be a friend, right?"

The pot nodded. "You're on the right track. And…have you ever stopped to wonder that this boy may not be your prince?"

Namine looked up and blinked. "Huh?"

The pot shook her spout again. "Deary, do you really think you'd have to work hard for your prince? Did you ever consider that he may ride into your life on his own? Not to be presumptuous or anything…"

There was a moment of silence while Namine pondered. "Well…I never really looked at it that way before…"

The pot turned around and started to hop away. "Come, we'll talk about it in the breakfast nook. I'll even make some of my famous gingerbread tea."

Namine giggled as she stood up. "Okay. I'd like that."

* * *

Vexen sat on one of the counters in his lab, going over some paperwork. Bills to be exact. He had his reading glasses on and a shocked expression on his face. "Look at this month's water bill! Oh, the superior will not be happy about this..." He then glanced around quickly before speaking his mind. "Maybe, just maybe, the superior will be so furious that he'll turn Demyx into dusk! I mean, we all know that he's the one responsible for this water bill." Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a faint humming noise, coming from outside his window. Vexen got up and approached the window, curious to find out what was going on. When his eyes spotted the noise-maker, he was shocked. There, under his lab window, was a strange blue creature with no legs, washing itself with the hose. It was also humming a tune called "Arabian Dream".

"You!" the scientist exclaimed, pointing his white-gloved finger at the creature. It immediately jumped and looked up.

"Oh hello!" it said, waving its large blue hand friendlily at number IV.

"Turn off that water!" Vexen demanded, pointing at the faucet.

It looked at the hose and then back up at Vexen. "But your kids used up all my water a few weeks ago. Are you their father?"

Vexen stepped back. "What?" he asked, horrified. "I don't have any children!" The blue creature shrugged and continued washing himself with the water. "Hey!" the Chilly Academic scowled. "I said turn the water off! The bill is high enough already!" But it just kept washing and humming, paying no attention to the angry scientist. The veins on Vexen's forehead began to pop out. "TURN IT OFF!" he shouted, throwing his lab goggles down at the blue thing.

"Fine, fine," it reluctantly agreed, turning the water off. It then stooped down, curiously picked up the goggles, and left.

Vexen was about to yell after it about returning the expensive goggles when he heard his patient moan. He immediately turned away from the window and was at the side of his lab table. "Zexion?"

Zexion was tossing and turning on the cold, hard lab table and mumbling in his coma. "R-Riku…R-replica…"

Vexen raised an eyebrow, wondering why Zexion was having dreams about his Riku replica. He then noticed how cold the cloaked schemer looked. "I'll get a blanket from the storeroom." Then, slightly hurrying, he left his lab.

Zexion did not cease tossing and turning for quite some time. He looked as though he were engaged in combat. Finally when he started to quiet down, a visitor appeared.

"Zexion?" Lexaeus asked, appearing at the doorway. When he saw that his friend was still in a coma, he entered the lab semi-cautiously. "Still unconscious…I wonder if there's anything I can do." He stared down at number VI's partially covered face and sighed. "Forgive me…Zexion." Suddenly there was an overwhelming shock in his head, causing him to almost lose balance. As he gripped onto the lab table, the room started to spin violently and his vision blurred. All of a sudden he heard voices.

"_Too slow."_

"_You are the Superior's- ….Forgive me Zexion. This was a fight I should not have started."_

_

* * *

_

As Vexen walked down the halls en route to his lab, he whistled a tune that had somehow drifted into his head. In his arms were a few blankets he had picked up from the storeroom. But as soon as he arrived at the doorway of his laboratory, his jaw dropped.

"Oh no!" the Chilly Academic exclaimed. Lexaeus now lay on the ground next to the lab table. "Now I have to take care of two of them! What's happening to the science crew?"


	37. Erase

Chapter 37 – Erase

Xemnas sat at his desk with a fresh cup of coffee, musing over some paperwork. He found the paper rather dull and his mind wandered to something else. "Keep them out of Agrabah for now…they will find out when the time is right." His thoughts were interrupted abruptly by a knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened cautiously and Vexen poked his head in. "Superior? Is now a good time?" he asked.

Xemnas let out a sigh and moved his coffee cup aside. "Proceed," he instructed.

Vexen looked relieved as he entered the superior's office and took a seat. And as soon as the Chilly Academic's rear hit the cushioned seat, his mouth started flapping. "Yes, well, superior, I just came here to inform you the condition of your men. Well actually two of your men aren't really men at all, which are Larxene and Xion. Now some may argue that Xion is a male because she is indeed a replica of Roxas made from Sora's leaked memories, but I have scientific proof she is indeed female. Now if you look at these reports you can see that she does undeniably have a vagina." He leaned over to show Xemnas the reports.

"I'm not interested in the puppet's anatomy!" Xemnas exclaimed, pushing the papers away. "What have you really come here to tell me?"

"Oh right," Vexen remember, folding up his "Xion Reports" and sticking them in his coat pocket. "Two of your men are unconscious." Then surprisingly, he closed his mouth and said nothing furthermore.

After a moment of silence, number I asked impatiently, "Well? Which ones?"

"The alienated bodybuilder and the bibliophile," Vexen answered simply.

Xemnas rolled his eyes. "In English, please?"

"Oh," number IV said, correcting his posture. "Lexaeus and Zexion."

Xemnas stroked his chin ponderously. "What exactly is wrong with them? Or do they have Demyx's 'disease'?"

"I don't know..." Vexen answered. He himself was stumped. "Maybe it's something going around…"

"Well have the dusks sanitize everything," Xemnas commanded with a very stern expression. "We don't want to lose anymore members; it'll slow down the process of completing Kingdom Hearts."

"Yes sir," Vexen responded. However, he didn't make any movement for the door. He just sat there, staring into space.

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "Well, is that all? Or would you like to show me more reports on the replica's structure?" He had become irate and was dead-set on finishing his coffee in peace.

"Huh?" Vexen asked, coming out of dreamland. "Oh, that is all." As the superior let out a sigh of relief, the Chilly Academic exited the office.

* * *

Namine returned to the Grey Room via dark corridor, sketchpad in hand. She had just had an interesting conversation with Mrs. Potts that laid heavy on her mind. She looked down at her sketchbook and contemplated.

"I guess right now I can show Marluxia my drawing," she decided. "If he will talk to me…." She let out a depressed sigh. She secretly despised when people were upset with her, which any human can relate to. Except the thing was, Namine wasn't exactly a human. She was a Nobody. And still in the back of her mind she believe Nobodies couldn't feel; yet she proved herself wrong almost every second of her stay in the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile, Axel was having some complications of his own. He had planned to spend his evening eating ice cream with his two best buds, but he was starting to feel like just a spare tire. Plus the fact that he hadn't seen Larxene in a few days didn't make it any better. So he now lay sprawled on his bed, feeling dejected. "Where is Larxene anyways?" he muttered. Suddenly, as he was stretching his arms under his pillow, he felt an object. Taking it out from under the pillow, he recognized what it was. The WINNER ice cream stick. "Heh…I kind of miss you, Roxas," number VIII said with a humorless laugh. "It's not that I'm jealous or anything…Well actually I am jealous. Jealous that your Xion isn't a sadist like my Larxene." He cautiously rubbed the knife wounds in his back. "Kunai-happy quack." Little did he know he was about to meet a broken nymph.

At that instant there was a knock on the door. Axel let out a sigh and left his bed. But when he opened the door, what he saw left him in a state of shock. Larxene stood before him, her eyes red with tears. All Axel could do was blink.

"If you tell anyone about my current state I'll let you have it!" she exclaimed through tears, bringing her knives to Axel's neck.

Axel slowly took his hand and brought the knives down. "Larxene, what's wrong?"

"Oh, everything!" she cried out on frustration, flopping down on Axel's bed as if she owned the place.

Axel raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "Oh really?" he asked, coming to his bedside. He tried his best not to acerbate number XII, listening patiently as she ranted.

"It's that Marluxia!" Larxene exclaimed, digging her nails into Axel's pillow. "He won't stop bugging me! On and on, finding new ways everyday to provoke me! There's only so much I can take! I want to kill him so badly!" She started to breath heavily, especially when she let out an earsplitting scream into Axel's pillow.

"Just calm down, Larx," Axel murmured, soothingly rubbing her back. He was attempting to calm her down, but he wondered if he would succeed. Eventually Larxene's screaming subsided and she began to breathe normally. "Well, looks like a tamed her," he chuckled.

Larxene let out a sigh. "Axel…Marluxia is such a liar…" she began softly.

"Now tell me what happened," Axel instructed gently, turning his soothing rub into a massage.

"Well…" she began with a sniff. "Last night he came to me and told me that Nobodies can't love."

Axel shook his head immediately. "Nonsense. Look at how Roxas and Xion are making out." As soon as those words had left his mouth, he realized how awkward they sounded. "Well that's not exactly what I meant but it fits too…"

Larxene was too distressed to catch the pun. "Yeah, I told him that. But he just said that since Sora had a strong heart it means that they have fragments of hearts. But since we don't…it means we can't…."

"Larxene," Axel interrupted, a serious look in his eyes. "Why does this mean anything to you? You're so savage that I didn't think you would care…"

"Axel, don't be ridiculous," Larxene said bitterly. "Savage or not, you know how I feel about you…"

A juvenile smile appeared on Axel's face. "Good. I was just checking before I reclaim my bed." Before Larxene knew what was happening, Axel appeared right beside her on the mattress.

"Hey-" Larxene protested. But Axel interrupted her by wrapping his arms around her and squeezing tightly.

"Seriously, Larx, don't worry about what that man tells you. If Nobodies can't love, how come he's going after you?"Axel asked.

Suddenly Larxene realized how foolish she had been. "Oh, I'm such a dumbbell!" she exclaimed, slapping her forehead.

Number VIII chuckled. "Nah, that's Marluxia." He then started to move his face closer to Larxene's.

Larxene's expression turned cross. "Are you trying to get fresh, pyro?"

"Maybe," Axel answered slickly, giving the corner of Larxene's mouth a quick lick.

Number XII let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Uh oh, you're in one of those moods again…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Axel murmured, pulling the sadist even closer to him.

Larxene rolled her eyes again. "I surrender," she told him dully.

Axel blinked. He was surprised she was giving in so easily; she usually put up at least a small fight. "Really?"

In a flash Larxene pounced on top of him, pinning him down. "Tough luck, Charlie," she laughed sadistically, enjoying the fear she saw in Axel's eyes. She then swooped down to feed on her prey.

Axel let out a content sigh as he was caught in Larxene's kiss. His eyes shut tight and he felt as though he were tangled up in an unbelievable fantasy. He had spent all those years having a longing for what he thought was a heart, but he now realized that it was Larxene he had been yearning for. Finally when the kiss ended, he took in some air and said, "If that doesn't prove that pansy wrong, I don't know what will."

Larxene giggled at the name-calling – she personally loved name-calling – and flopped down next to Axel.

"You feeling better?" he asked, turning on his side to face her.

"Yeah," Larxene replied, stoking the side of his face with her fingernails.

Axel let out another peaceful sigh and felt foolish for complaining about Larxene to himself just a few minutes earlier. No matter how brutal she seemed, he knew she had a soft side. He chuckled lightly as she buried her head against his chest. For once she was acting like a little kitten instead of a ferocious lion. Axel placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Axel?" Larxene asked, looking up at him with innocent eyes.

One look into Larxene's abnormal angelic eyes made Axel melt like his fiery chakrams would make objects do. "Yes Larxy?" he asked, eyes fixed on her.

"Can we go electrocute Marluxia and set him on fire?" Larxene asked, keeping her celestial gaze.

Axel let out a laugh. "Still thinking of destruction? Sure, I'd love to get even with him." He then drew Larxene in even closer to him, squeezing her and holding her in his thin arms. "You're mine, sadist…" He pulled her into another kiss, though this time he was in charge. Just as things were starting to heat up, the creak of the door startled them.

"Axel, can I borrow some let-" But as soon as Marluxia looked up, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Axel! Larxene! What in Mickey's name is going on here?" He was too shocked to move, he just stood in the doorway and stared, his blues eyes colossal.

Larxene and Axel quickly separated but they tried to keep their cool; they didn't want to seem as alarmed as Marluxia was. "Oops," Axel said sarcastically.

"Marluxia, really, can't you learn to knock?" Larxene asked, annoyed.

Marluxia's pupils dilated even more. "You…you…" Suddenly he raised his hand over his head and summoned his scythe. "All right, Axel, it's time I teach you a lesson."

"Oh it's a fight you want?" Axel asked casually, getting up from his bed. "Then might I say, Marluxia, that you picked the perfect time to do so."

"Yeah," Larxene added, getting up from the bed as well. "Because right now, Marluxia, you will have to fight _both_ of us." She produced her knives with a wicked grin.

Marluxia showed a bit of hesitance but did not lower his weapon. "So be it," he answered. With a battle cry, Marluxia made the first move, thrusting his weapon forward at Axel. And so the mêlée for Larxene began.

Axel hopped out of the way, almost colliding into his lava lamp. But he was satisfied that he had dodged Marluxia's scythe. "You're too slow, old man," he mocked, sticking out his tongue. He then summoned his chakrams.

"How juvenile," Marluxia remarked emotionlessly, dodging Larxene's lunge.

As both Axel and Larxene sprung toward number XI, planning to pin him down together and painfully punish him, they were amazed at how quick he moved. And it wasn't easy in Axel's undersized bedroom, especially while carrying an oversized weapon. But Marluxia preformed it perfectly, appearing behind number VIII and XII. But Larxene and Axel were also quick, and moved away in time to avoid Marluxia's blow.

"Larxene, give it up," Marluxia said as his scythe clashed with Axel's chakrams. He looked over at Larxene who was blowing at her throwing knives, acting uninterested. "You cannot love this man!" He gathered his strength and pushed Axel back, causing the Flurry of Dancing Flames to tumble onto his bed.

As Larxene witnessed her Axel being thrown aside like a pair of old shoes, her anger boiled. "You mess with Axel you mess with me!" she exclaimed, striking him with her knives. The Graceful Assassin let out a yelp and jumped backwards. But Larxene wasn't finished with him yet. She jumped forward and kicked him in the gut, causing him to crash into Axel's wardrobe.

While this was going on, it gave Axel enough time to recover, and he shot up and blasted fireballs at Marluxia. "Burn baby!" Axel cried out as Marluxia's hair was engulfed in flames. Larxene stepped back and laughed.

Marluxia started to panic, afraid that his prize possession would burn up. He swiftly grabbed the closest thing he could find – which happened to be a pair of Axel's briefs – and started to pat out the flames on his head.

"Hey, those are mine!" Axel protested. Larxene just giggled, making the pyro's face turn red.

When Marluxia's hair was successfully put out, his threw the burned-up panties aside and got back into the brawl. Axel and Larxene lunged toward him, but he stopped their weapons with his scythe. As their weapons grinded against each others', they gritted their teeth and shouted insults.

"There's no way I'd like a pink-haired ballerina like you!" Larxene hollered, trying to sink her knives into his flesh.

"I'm a better pick than fire-pants!" Marluxia retorted, holding his scythe firmly in front of him.

"Hah!" Axel spat, pushing his chakrams up against Marluxia's pink weapon. "I'm not the idiot rubbing my hair with underwear!"

Marluxia's eyes narrowed. "You know perfectly well why I was doing that," he sneered, moving forward.

"Because you're arrogant and obsessed with your hair?" Larxene guessed with a smirk, holding him back.

"No…" Marluxia replied. He was about to speak more when Axel suddenly punched him in the face, causing him to fly backwards. The pyro then stood almost on top of him, preventing number XI from moving.

"I don't know what you've been telling my Larxene," Axel began in a low voice. "But I'll see to it that it stops! Or I will slit your throat." He pointed his chakram to Marluxia who was surprisingly shaking. "If you say love isn't real then why do you want Larxene so badly, hm?"

Marluxia tried to keep his dignity, but he felt strangely warn out. "Leave me alone, Axel."

Axel let out a laugh and got off of Marluxia. He then joined Larxene and dusted his hands off. "Checkmate."

Marluxia rubbed his sore head, wondering why he was feeling so weak. Suddenly a face flashed through his mind – Namine's face. He could hear her voice as well – such a soft, innocent sounding voice. At that moment he snapped out of his thoughts to see Larxene and Axel sharing a victory kiss. He groaned bitterly and picked up his scythe. He desperately wanted to teach Axel a lesson, but he just felt too feeble. So instead of heading towards the pyro, he headed for the door.

"Come again, anytime!" Axel laughed with a wave as Marluxia exited.

"Yeah," Larxene added. "I'll be waiting!" She then burst out in sadistic laughter.

As Marluxia stormed down the hall he felt so enraged that he killed all the dusks in his way. "I'll show them!" he exclaimed. "Love is foolish!"

* * *

"That sure was nice ice cream," Xion commented as she and Roxas entered the Grey Room, just returning from Twilight Town. "But I wonder where Axel was…"

"Same here," Roxas replied, putting away his mission gear. "He doesn't seem to eat ice cream with us anymore…And I kinda wanted to tell him about our date." Xion looked up at him in alarm. Realizing what she was worried about, Roxas put an arm around her. "Don't worry Xi, I won't tell him, I promise."

Xion's lips curved into an appreciative grin. "Thank you…"

Roxas chuckled and gave her a light squeeze. "That's my little Xion. What an adorable smile." He flashed one of his adoring smiles at the girl, causing her to giggle. Suddenly he had an idea which caused his eyes to light up. "Come on, let's sit down," he suggested, leading her to one of the couches. As they sat down, he continued. "We're alone now so why don't we…kiss?"

"K-kiss?" Xion stuttered, her face turning red. She felt especially shy for an unknown reason.

"Yeah," Roxas replied, his grin widening. He took Xion's hand and held it in his lap. "We were too busy eating and talking about Agrabah on the clock tower so we didn't get to. So how's about now?" He had a pleading look on his face as he leaned a bit closer.

"I don't know…" Xion said hesitantly, scooting back somewhat. "You did eat three ice creams…"

Roxas paused. "Are you scared of me?" he asked, sounding hurt.

Xion shook her head quickly. "N-no! It's just…"

But Roxas interrupted, gently pulling her into his grasp. "Xion…your coat is warm," he told her softly as he embraced her.

Xion tried to relax but she didn't know what he would do next. _"I have to trust him," _she told herself. _"I love him…"_ She felt something inside her ache as Roxas let out a dejected sigh. She even heard him mumble 'she doesn't want to kiss me…', which filled her with sorrow. "R-Roxy?" she began quietly, looking up into his eyes.

"Yeah?" Roxas asked hopefully, holding his breath.

"Well…we are alone right now. C-can we kiss?" she asked, still a bit uneasy.

Roxas' blue eyes lit up excitedly and a wide grin graced his lips. "Oh Xion!" he said with a laugh, cuddling her tightly. "You really are so sweet…" He held her in his arms bridal style and gazed at her with wonder for a few seconds before starting to move his face closer. Just as he started to pucker up his lips, Xion put a finger to them.

"But first let's talk," she said in a low tone of voice, looking up at him with naïve eyes. "Please?"

Roxas sighed and let out a soft chortle. "All right, you, have it your way," he laughed, teasing her abdomen with light tickles. "Just make it pleasant, okay?"

Xion smiled and tried her hardest not to squirm. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as Roxas ended the tickles. "Okay, I will…" she reassured him. After a moment of lying in his arms in thought, Xion decided on a topic. "So tomorrow morning Namine will leave…"

A mischievous grin appeared on number XIII's face. "Yeah…Namine isn't the pleasant part of this topic, but her leaving sure is."

Xion let out a giggle at his remark. "Yep. I'm glad she didn't cause _too_ much trouble." She reached up and stroked the side of Roxas' face. "But I still don't forgive her for hurting you."

Roxas gently took Xion's hand in his and stroked her palm. "Aw, forget about it, Xi. I'm healed, honest." He flashed her a big goofy grin, causing her to laugh. "Want me to prove it?" He didn't wait for her to answer; he just tipped her face closer to his and started for the kiss again.

Xion's pupils dilated and she let out a quiet 'meep' right before Roxas laid his lips upon hers. He tried to make the kiss a gentle one to soothe Xion from whatever might be bothering her. At first he even felt her shaking a bit which he noted as strange, but as soon as he started to cradle her she relaxed and began returning the kiss tenderly. The two held it out for as long as their lungs could stand, but eventually had to break up for air. As Roxas laid Xion's head down on his lap, he lightly caressed her delicate cheek for a moment before speak. "Thanks," he whispered, holding her wide-eyed gaze.

A giggle came from Xion's lips as she stared up at her number XIII. "I should be the one thanking you. You're…always there for me whenever I need you…even though I'm just a replica."

Roxas elevated her slightly and started to cradle her again. "I'll never forget you, Xion, even if we have to part again. Never in a million years, I promise."

"I promise that too," number XIV sniffed, feeling her eyes start to tear up. Their lips collided again for another kiss, though this time it was abbreviated. Once they separated they just gazed at each other lovingly for quite some time. Soon Xion began to dose off in Roxas' arms, due to all the rocking. Roxas chuckled softly as he watched his lover's eyes shut. As Xion felt herself drift off to sleep, she couldn't help but pick up a faint sonority. It sounded like soft, sweet singing, and the song was familiar.

_You'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more_

_You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always_

Suddenly recognizing the tune, Xion's eyes flickered open. The first thing she saw was Roxas' face, and he looked quite startled. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he asked, sounding fairly panicky.

Curious, Xion sat up part way. "Were you singing?" she inquired.

A light blush appeared on Roxas' face. "Yeah…I was," he admitted with an embarrassed smile.

"Isn't that the song Larxene once sang?" Xion asked him, blinking a few times. When Roxas nodded bashfully she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him. "Do you really mean that? E-even though we don't have hearts?"

Roxas' eyes widened, feeling slightly hurt. "Of course, little Xi-Xi! I've told you many times how I feel. You…don't believe me?" He started to sniffle; Xion couldn't tell if he was serious or just faking to tease her.

"I'm sorry," Xion apologized, touching his cheek. "I believe you."

Roxas' pout morphed into a wide grin. "That's my Xi-Xi," he said affectionately, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned in for yet another kiss, but paused when he was only centimeters away to tease her with a few licks.

"Hey!" Xion squealed through laughter. "Stop!"

Roxas chuckled mischievously and continued on with his plan, attempting to kiss his Xion with more passion than he had ever used before. He firmly enveloped her lips with his and embraced her tightly against his body. He knew his heart would be racing swiftly if he possessed one, guessing Xion was feeling the same way. Xion returned his ardent kisses as best she could, which was enough to satisfy Roxas. As he focused on how sweet and tender her lips were and as Xion tried to keep herself from fainting, they were too occupied to notice someone else's presence. That is, until the beast started to bay.

"I can't take it anymore!" came a raging roar. Frightened, Roxas and Xion rapidly separated. Their eyes were stricken with fear as they identified the intruder – Marluxia. And he didn't look like he was too jolly to see them either. "Love this, love that! It's always love! This castle is full of it! It's ludicrous!"

"H-hey Marluxia," Roxas stuttered nervously.

Marluxia met the couple's eyes with a ferocious gaze. "And the superior does nothing about it…You two deserve to be swallowed up by the darkness you should posses."

"Now just wait a minute!" Roxas protested. He shot up off the couch, bringing Xion up with him.

Marluxia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Roxas started to cower at Marluxia's irate gaze. "Um…n-nowhere in the Organization XIII handbook does it say we can't love…."

"It's a given," number XI replied in a deep tone of voice. The look in his eyes told of impending doom as his eyes scanned the fearful little Nobodies. "Now this relationship _must_ be stopped."

"No!" Xion spoke up, clinging to Roxas. "I love Roxas so much! I won't be separated from him!" She felt her eyes fill up with tears, anticipating the worst. She looked up and saw how much afraid Roxas looked as well.

"That's quite a shame," Marluxia said, taking a step forward. "For I will see to it that you two never share another embrace."

"Leave us alone!" Roxas barked, summoning his keyblade. Seeing that it was most-likely dual time, Xion summoned her own keyblade as well.

But unfortunately, they were caught unaware and their weapons were flung from their grasp with one sharp strike of Marluxia's scythe. As the fear in their eyes rose, the Graceful Assassin let out a malevolent laugh. "It's too late you two…."

"Roxas…" Xion whimpered, clinging with all her might to Roxas' coat. Marluxia began to walk forward.

"Your friendship would have still been allowed to be kept if you hadn't broken the rules," he said in a menacing voice. "But you had to get tangled up in a deception which can only lead to _destruction_. Everybody knows Nobodies cannot love." As Roxas and Xion clung to each other timorously, Marluxia paused to decide just exactly _how_ he was going to punish them. If he eliminated them he would undoubtedly be turned into a dusk, so he had to come up with a better plan. His mind suddenly wandered to the plan he had thought up a few nights ago. Suddenly the pitter-patter of little feet distracted him, causing him to turn around to see who was entering.

"Oh, Marluxia, I'm glad I found you," Namine said, coming up to the man with sketchpad in hand. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she saw Roxas and Xion, and how petrified they looked.

"Namine, come here," Marluxia instructed. Seeing how solemn the occasion was, Namine quickly obeyed and joined his side. He then turned back to Roxas and Xion, resting his hand on top of the witch's head. "Namine…erase their memories."

**A/N: Hate the way I portrayed Larxene? Good, I hate the way you portray her too. **


	38. Nothing

Chapter 38 – Nothing

"Namine…erase their memories."

As those words came from Marluxia's thin lips, it was like watching a horror movie. Impending doom was in his tone and in his words. Those words shattered all fortification the two young ones had felt. They were now dead frozen where they stood, feeling vulnerable to any mental or physical attack, and totally helpless. Their blood was rushing through their veins at high-speed and if they possessed hearts, they would surely be pounding mightily. Complication over complication had piled up on them since Roxas woke up to find himself still in the organization, and the pile had just gotten heavier. Every second that passed could be their last of remembering each other. They had found so much joy and strength in each other, and now it was all slipping away. The fear of it fading away to not even a memory was attendant. Roxas and Xion shook with fear as Marluxia glared down at them, waiting for his scheme to occur. They knew protesting wouldn't do much good, and even if they tried they couldn't get the words out of their mouths.

Sweat beads flowed down Namine's forehead as Marluxia looked down at her. She was now given the opportunity to erase both of their memories and have Roxas fall in love with herself. What she had always wanted; to not be alone. To have someone to share the joys and sorrows of her life. To accompany her through the long, lonely journey a Nobody embarked upon. Someone to love. If Nobodies could love. But she also knew how much Roxas meant to Xion and vice versa. Even though the two wouldn't remember their love for one another, Namine would always be stuck with the guilt. She remembered what Mrs. Potts told her while they were having tea.

"_When you force a man to love you, it isn't real love."_

Namine looked down in shame. "You're right, Mrs. Potts…." She saw Marluxia give her a quizzical look, but she just ignore it. She prepared herself to say 'no' when suddenly Roxas caught her eye. He did look quite attractive, despite how petrified he was. Those dark golden locks, those baby blue eyes…they were enough to make any girl go insane. It all belonged to Xion currently but with her remarkable abilities she could make it hers. Not only would it please Marluxia but she too would be content. So she raised her hands up and readied herself for the memory erasing. She was about to begin when she noticed how Roxas was holding onto Xion protectively. They did look awfully cute together; she had noticed it countless times before. They were both hanging onto each other as if they were put before a firing squad, expecting to fade in any second. How could she possibly deprive them of each other when they belonged together? She lowered her hands and looked Marluxia directly in the eye. "No!"

Marluxia blinked, completely shocked by Namine's response. He had thought he and Namine were in agreement that Roxas and Xion's 'love' must be stopped. He roughly placed his hand on her shoulder and glared down at her. "What?"

Namine broke away from Marluxia. "No!" she exclaimed. "I can't do it! I won't do it!"

The tears that had been flowing down Roxas and Xion's cheeks subsided and they blinked a few times. Namine wasn't going to destroy their memories?

Marluxia's eyebrows furrowed and he placed his hands on his hips. "Why not?"

"Because," Namine began with a pant. "They haven't done anything to me. They don't deserve to be separated."

Xion sniffled as she wiped a tear from her eye. "R-really?" she asked, still choking on a few tears.

Namine turned around and grinned at her. "Yes really. I've made up my mind. You and Roxas belong together, and I'll never try to separate you two."

Xion wiped away another teardrop and took a step forward. "I-I'm sorry for misjudging you…" she said quietly.

Roxas stepped forward as well. "I'm sorry too, Namine," he told her, his tears dissipating. "Thank you _so _much for not erasing our memories…"

Namine beamed as the two thanked her, suddenly remembering how wonderful it felt to do good deeds for others. The happy time was rather short-lived, however.

"Weak," Marluxia sneered. "I am absolutely sick and tired of this!" He raised his scythe up and held it lightly against Namine's back. "Namine, if you don't erase their memories, this goes in all the way!"

Namine froze, her pupils dilating tremendously. She began to quake at the eerie feel of the scythe. Just the little prick he gave her felt like a poisonous vine was climbing up her back and wrapping around her, constricting her tightly. Through her fear-stricken eyes she saw her new friends trembling terribly, their smiles vanished. The tears had even returned, making the witch feel terrible. She now had to make the decision: erase their memories or sacrifice herself. If she died then she couldn't finish re-piecing Sora's memory together, and Sora meant a lot to her. But so did Sora's Nobody and replica. Her brain felt like it was going to explode as she considered her options. And Marluxia was growing impatient.

"Namine…" he said, his tone ominous. That caused the sweat beads dripping down Namine's forehead to increase. She was running out of time. Her hands slowly started to rise again, but this time they were reluctant. She really didn't want to do it, but she was left with no choice.

"Roxas, Xion….forgive me," she said, hanging her head in shame. She didn't even want to see the probably horrified expressions on their faces, especially not the tears that were bound to be flowing out. They were probably clinging onto each other, she guessed, a sight that would just rip one's heart out, if one had a heart. She made a fist with her hand and slowly began to pull back. She had almost rearranged the first of Roxas' many memories when a voice cried out.

"Stop!"

Before anyone knew what was going on, Axel and Larxene appeared in front of the two young Nobodies. Marluxia loosened his grip on his scythe a bit, and Namine put down her hands. Marluxia's brows furrowed even more. "What do you want?"

"If you're going to erase their memories, then erase ours too!" Axel exclaimed, determination in his eyes. He wrapped an arm around Larxene's shoulder and braced himself for Marluxia response. Namine's eyes darted around the room nervously.

"Yes!" Larxene agreed without hesitation. "We will go down with these two!" She turned around part way and ruffled Xion's hair. Xion let out a surprised sniffle.

Marluxia's lips curved into a wicked grin. If he had Namine erase their memories as well, he would have a second chance with Larxene. And he could make Namine make Axel's personality totally different; he personally couldn't stand that guy. But that would also mean that four of the organization's members would have to be retrained, and Xemnas would not be happy about that. Number I could be so displeased that he may turn Marluxia into a dusk. And Marluxia was always fond of his looks; he didn't consider the "dusk" look to be in this season. Just as he was about to make up his mind, he heard another voice.

"While you're at it, erase my memory too!" Marluxia blinked his eyes at the sudden appearance of Demyx. The Melodious Nocturne stood beside Roxas and patted him on the head. "Don't worry, little buddy, Uncle DemDem is here." Roxas wiped a tear from his eye. Before Marluxia could even think about erasing Demyx's memories, number XI stepped out from the group and dragged a man out of the shadows. "Come on, Xigbar!" he exclaimed, pulling number II forward.

"I don't know…" Xigbar said reluctantly. "He might actually do it!"

Demyx gave Xigbar's arm another tug. "Well do you want Xion and Roxas to stop making juicy articles for your magazine? _The Xigbar Daily_ will go out of business if these little ones' memories are erased!"

That was when Xigbar realized just how much Roxas and Xion meant to him. Sure, their love was irritating and illogical, but without them he would be broke and bored. "Well…" he began. "Embarrassing them has always been fun…"

"Aw, come on, Xigbar," Demyx said, poking his arm. "You know you have a soft spot…"

Demyx's teasing caused Xigbar's face to turn a bit red, but he tried not to show it. He looked over to see Roxas and Xion's current condition – Roxas was looking up with an amazed expression at Axel, and Xion was clinging onto Roxas' coat and refusing to let go. He let out a laugh at the sight. "All right…" he gave in. He took a step in front of the crowd and pointed with his two hands in Marluxia's face. "Dude, if you're going to erase their memories, then erase mine too! That'll make six people, nearly half of the organization. And Xemnas won't be happy…"

Marluxia fingered his scythe and glanced down at Namine. The girl in white was biting on her nails nervously, hoping that she wouldn't have to do it. He looked up and saw that Axel, Larxene, Xigbar, and Demyx wore evil, grinning expressions as they glared at him. There was no way he could get away with erasing _all_ their memories. He slowly started to step back.

"You're a dusk man walking," Xigbar said slyly. That did the trick. Marluxia turned around and raced towards the exit, too humiliated to even speak.

"More like a dusk man running," Axel remarked, suppressing a chuckle. The older Nobodies were about to start partying over their victory when Namine spoke.

"Th-thank you for pulling me out of that tight spot…" she said. She was too afraid to look up, however, expecting that they would be angry at her for becoming Marluxia's puppet.

Axel stepped forward, a lopsided grin on his face. "Thank you for being hesitant," he told the girl. Namine looked up in question.

"If you didn't stall, Axel and I wouldn't have gotten here in time," Larxene explained, approaching her.

A small smile formed upon Namine's lips. "Well….I really didn't want to do it. Xion and Roxas belong with each other." She shot them a smile, though they were hardly visible through Xigbar and Demyx. Then she turned and looked at the empty hall, feeling a bit sorry for Marluxia. "Well I think I'm going to turn in. I'm exhausted." She then exited the Grey Room.

When Namine was out of sight, Axel turned back to the other Nobodies – just to be embraced by Roxas and Xion. "Thank you so so so so so much!" they both cried, squeezing him tightly.

Axel let out a chuckle and patted them both on the head. "Hey, what are friends for? You know I've always approved of your relationship."

Xion looked up at him with joyful, tear-filled eyes. "Thank you…We approve of your relationship with Larxene." Axel let out a laugh. "Axel…you're like a father to me."

Axel felt his face turn red, especially when he noticed Larxene's amused smile. "Aw, Xion, I see you as my daughter," he told number XIV, patting her on the back. Then both Roxas and Xion let go of Axel, and surprisingly enough, they hugged the other three Nobodies. Xion told Larxene she was like a mother to her, which made Larxene laugh nervously. Then little XIV told Demyx and Xigbar that they were both like uncles to her. It made Xigbar feel penitent for pushing Roxas onto Xion at the movie theaters, because Xion and Roxas had pretty much forgotten about the revenge they were planning.

"Well now," Axel said, approaching them when they were through with their hug fest. "You've hugged everyone here. Now how's about you two share a tender moment?"

Roxas and Xion shyly turned to each other and blushed. They knew all eyes were now on them, and they wondered if Xigbar had his camera or not. But they were too overjoyed to care. "Oh Roxas!" Xion exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh Xion!" Roxas rejoiced. They threw their arms around each other and joined in a passionate kiss, weeping joyfully all the while. After a few moments, Roxas picked Xion up and started to spin her around as they kissed. This caused their audience to chuckle, and Demyx even let out an 'aww'. Once they were through, their lips separated and they just embraced. "I'm so happy we're still together!" Roxas cried.

"I'm so happy too!" Xion responded, clutching him tightly. "We'll always be together, right?"

Roxas pulled away from her and gazed into her tearful eyes. "Right. Nothing will separate us. Nothing."


	39. Farewell

Chapter 39 – Farewell

It was early the next morning. A light, warm rain was falling down in Twilight Town. Xemnas, Marluxia, Roxas, and Xion were standing in front of the gates of the Old Mansion, watching Namine's departure. Roxas and Xion felt obligated to attend because Namine _had_ refused to erase their memories, so the least they could do was see her off. Marluxia was not happy about this, however, and kept glaring at them nastily. It was a somber occasion, no one spoke, and each person's mind was filled with different thoughts. Xemnas was thinking scheming, secretive thoughts, anticipating the reawakening of Sora. Xion still had mixed feelings about Namine; grateful that she hadn't erased their memories but somewhat apprehensive that she was close to doing so. Roxas just wondered if Namine had finally given up on him or not. And Marluxia felt deep hatred for Roxas and Xion, humiliated that he had been defeated the previous night.

Namine left the pack and started to walk toward the mansion nervously. The light rainfall sent a shiver up her spine, for she was dressed in thin clothing. Then she stopped and looked over her shoulder at the organization members.

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, a farewell address? Maybe for Marluxia to sing 'for she's a jolly good fellow'?" he asked in an uncharacteristically mocking voice.

Namine flinched and started walking again. But then she stopped again, seeing a sad Marluxia expression flash through her mind. "Marluxia!" she exclaimed, turning back around. Marluxia looked up at her for a moment before fixing his gaze on the damp ground. "Marluxia…I'm sorry. I just couldn't. I…hope you understand." Namine stood there for another moment, waiting for number XI to respond. But he didn't, so she turned back around and entered the mansion's gates.

As the little white witch vanished through the doors of the eerie mansion, Marluxia felt his eyes mist up. It surprised him, to say the least, 'cause he had never experienced such sentiment before. _"What?"_ he thought, utterly confused. "…Farewell, Namine…"

* * *

Because of the departure of Namine, Xemnas had been distracted and had not yet given Saix the instructions for the day. In other words, the members not present when Namine left could sleep in. Including Axel.

Normally the pyro would be mumbling something totally ridiculous, half awake half asleep, but the experience the previous night had kept him up. _"Namine is gone now…."_ he thought. _"One less thing for Roxas and Xion to worry about. But will more trials come their way? We still need to find out why the organization is normal…And what Xemnas is hiding. I hope Larxene shares her hacking information soon…"_ Suddenly the door burst open, interrupting his thoughts. And in charged Larxene.

"Pyro!" number XII exclaimed, a mischievous grin on her face.

Axel sat up half away, wondering what she wanted. "What?"All of a sudden, Larxene pounced on top of him, causing him to sit up all the way in alarm. "What do you want, Larxene?" Larxene made her way under the covers and started biting at Axel's pajama top. Axel gave her a quizzical look and tried to scoot away, but she just pulled him closer. He started to chuckle at her behavior. "Larx, PLEASE tell me what you want!"

Larxene pawed at his face, stroking the purple markings under his eyes. "Just to hang out with my favorite pyro," she replied playfully.

Axel grinned mischievously. "Oh, I can't believe what I'm hearing," he said. "The Savage Nymph actually wants to play nice and cuddle for once…"

Larxene laughed slightly and nuzzled his shoulder. "Maybe…but don't tell."

Number VIII chuckled and wrapped his arms around the tamed beast. "I still find it amazing how gentle you can be at times…" Larxene grinned evilly and took a bite out of his hand, causing Axel to jerk back his hand. "Oh you!" he laughed. He then calmed down and let out a content sigh. "This is nice…"

Larxene nodded slightly, her mind on other things. "I hope Marluxia will stay in his place now and stop pestering others," she said. She then let out a yawn. "Or else we can deal with him again."

Axel smiled and looked around his room. It was still in shambles from the brawl; he had been too tired to clean it up. _"I could be cleaning it now…"_ he thought. _"But nah, this is better." _He was about to plant a kiss on Larxene's cheek when something she said caught his interest.

"Oh, I still remember that hacking info," she said. Axel listened intently, waiting for her to continue. "I looked all over Xemnas' computer, through his personal files and everything, and I found…"

Suddenly the Savage Nymph was interrupted by a flashbulb. It was then that she realized she had forgotten to close the door behind her once entering Axel's room. And there stood Xigbar, camera in hand. "Well well well," he said, walking up to them. Both of their faces were bright red. "You've been caught."

Axel shot up. "Xigbar!" he exclaimed.

Larxene sat up as well, just as furious as Axel. "Go away if you value your life!"

Xigbar just smirked, fingering the buttons on his camera. "I suggest that you go away, Larxene, if you value your life…."

Axel titled his head, immediately concerned. "Huh?"

Xigbar let out a laugh. "Marluxia told me about how you two are together. So foolish, you know. So I told the superior. Now with this proof…" He tossed his camera in the air and caught it. "He'll most likely be wanting to hold a meeting soon." Axel and Larxene's jaws dropped, at loss for words. "Be good dusks now!" And with another cackle, Xigbar left their presence.

"Oh that man!" Larxene exclaimed, her anger boiling. "Axel, let's kill him!"

"I feel like doing that myself right now too, Larxene," Axel replied, frowning. What were they going to do?


	40. Waiting on the Edge

Chapter 40 – Waiting on the Edge

Roxas and Xion flopped down onto one of the couches in the Grey Room. They had lost some sleep because of Namine's earlier departure and were now quite tired. Roxas leaned against one of the armrests and Xion leaned up against him. Number XIII let out a slight chuckle and wrapped an arm around his best friend.

"Well now she's gone. One less thing to worry about," Roxas said gently, running his fingers through her hair.

Xion smiled lethargically and nodded. "Next thing on our list is Agrabah. I hope we're missioned there soon."

Roxas felt his eyes slowly shut. Now that his vision was no longer in use, he concentrated more on his other senses – touch mostly. Xion felt so soft and warm in his arms that he was tempted to squeeze her tightly. But he knew that might possibly hurt her and that was the last thing he wanted. "Yes…" he whispered. "After that's cleared up, life in the Organization will be more enjoyable. Don't you agree, Xi?"

Xion shifted herself into a more comfortable position and then replied. "Yep. Everything will be fine."

* * *

As Roxas and Xion were sharing yet another tender moment, the other organization members were beginning to wake up. After Namine had left, Marluxia had shut himself up in his room to sulk. He was pacing around so much that Demyx, whose room was right under the Graceful Assassin's, complained. Marluxia just ignored him, shutting the door in his face, and continued his pacing.

"Now that Namine is gone, it'll be back to the old routine," Marluxia mumbled. "Not that I care…that traitor!" He tried to keep himself bitter at Namine but sadness continued to creep back into his soul. He let out a forlorn sigh and walked over to his dresser. There, a picture Namine drew of himself lay. He had found it early that morning and knew she was trying to apologize. He let out another sigh at the thought of Roxas and Xion. "Maybe I should just give up for now. As long as Kingdom Hearts is completed, their counterfeit relationship is fine." He then thought of Axel and Larxene, which filled him with anger. But a wicked grin then graced his lips as he remembered what Xigbar promised him.

"_I'll make sure Xemnas stops THIS relationship, or my name isn't Braig…I mean Xigbar!"_

"You better keep your promise, Xigbar," Marluxia grumbled, his eyes falling back upon Namine's drawing. "At least Namine never found out I was the one who abused her in Castle Oblivion…"

* * *

Once the Grey Room started to fill up, Roxas and Xion separated a bit so people wouldn't stare. Suddenly Xigbar approached them which made them nervous. Especially because he had the latest issue of his magazine in hand.

"Hey Poppet and kiddo!" Xigbar greeted with a two-finger salute and a wink. Roxas and Xion didn't exactly know what to think. He had stood up for them the previous night…but could he really change from bad to good that quickly?

"Hello…" Roxas replied, apprehensive. He wrapped an arm around Xion protectively, growing slightly paranoid.

Xigbar casually placed his free hand down on the armrest. "You know, I only stood up for you last night so I could make more issues like this…" He handed them his magazine with a mischievous chuckle.

When Roxas and Xion got a look at it, they both gasped. The front cover had the scandalous picture Xigbar had taken at the movie theaters a few nights ago. And the headline read 'Roxas lets his Hormones Take Control!' Their faces grew extremely red and their pupils dilated. "Wh-wh-wh-bu-bu-but!" they stuttered together.

Xigbar let out a laugh at their reactions. "Outrageous, isn't it?"

Roxas suddenly stood up and threw the magazine to the ground. "Xigbar, you-!"

But Xigbar interrupted his attempt at name-calling. "Don't worry!" he said, waving his hand. "With the hot water 'Larxel' is in, this issue will be forgotten in no time."

Roxas let out a relieved sigh and retook his seat. "Don't worry, Xi-Xi, this will be forgotten soon enough-" Number XIII froze, suddenly realizing what Xigbar had said. "Wait…Larxel! Larxene and Axel?"

Xigbar winked at them. "Bingo."

"Oh no!" Xion exclaimed, sitting up. "What have you done to them?" Both she and Roxas glared at him. But he wasn't at all intimidated by their glares.

"Just reported them to Xemnas," he answered haughtily, folding his arms across his chest. "They have no excuse for their foolish behavior, so I doubt you'll be seeing them around much longer."

Roxas began to growl, his anger boiling. He had had just about enough of Xigbar; it was time to take some action. He once again stood up, except this time more swiftly. "No!" he shouted, summoning his keyblade. "Axel is my friend! And he belongs with Larxene!"

Xigbar's mischievous smile just grew. "Oh, so it's a fight you want, shrimpet?"

"Don't call Roxas shrimpet!" Xion exclaimed defensively, shooting up from her seat. She linked arms with Roxas and summoned her own keyblade. "And I'll back Larxene and Axel up till the end!"

Xigbar laughed roguishly and stepped forward, appearing to be summoning his Arrowguns. But what surprised Roxas and Xion was he didn't - he just patted them on the head and chuckled. "Save all that pep for your mission, kiddies." And before they could protest, he disappeared. His strange action left them speechless.

"Roxas…" Xion began after a couple minutes of staring into space. "What was that?"

"I have no clue…" Roxas replied, trying to shake off his bemusement. Then Larxene and Axel came to mind. "Xion, we have to do something! We can't allow Xemnas to turn Axel and Larxene into dusks!"

"Yeah!" Xion agreed nervously. "Not only are they our best friends, but Larxene still hasn't told us the information she found while hacking!" She put her hand on Roxas' shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Roxas…what are we going to do?"

Before Roxas could respond, Axel and Larxene dragged themselves into the Grey Room. They kept their eyes focused on the ground, not wanting to meet the stares of their comrades. They were in no mood to fight, because that would just make the situation worse, for the superior would not want a vital member injured or killed. Even though Roxas and Xion were the only ones who could collect hearts, each member had a very important role to play in Organization XIII. The only chance Axel and Larxene had of staying in the organization was to behave.

"Axel!" Roxas exclaimed, running up to the two older Nobodies.

"Larxene!" Xion called out, joining Roxas' side.

Axel looked up at them for a second and then turned his gaze away. "Hey…" Larxene remained silent, but Roxas and Xion could tell she was holding back anger.

"I heard what happened…" Roxas began somberly. "Me and Xi are so sorry!" Roxas felt so overwhelmed with sympathy for them that he stepped forward and hugged Axel, as if he was his brother or father.

Axel was surprised by Roxas' actions and began to pat him on the back. "It…..it's all right, Roxas. It's not your fault."

Roxas drew back from the hug and wiped the few measly tears from his eyes. "But I just feel so useless!" Xion started to soothingly rub number XIII's back, at a loss for words.

It was then that Larxene spoke up. "Ohhh…if only I was allowed to kill Xigbar," she said behind gritted teeth.

Axel patted her on the shoulder. "I feel the same way, Larx. But all we can do now is hope for the best."

Larxene was forcing herself not to summon her throwing knives as she growled. "I wish we could take action! I hate waiting on the edge of what I can't escape! I hate this feeling of helplessness!"

"Don't worry, Mommy Larxene," Xion spoke up. She had a caring smile on her face, evidently trying to cheer everyone up. "It might not be as bad as you think. All Xemnas cares about is completing Kingdom Hearts. I don't think your affair will hinder that goal."

Axel and Larxene both nodded silently, but they were still doubtful. Saix was bound to enter the Grey Room any minute and announce a meeting. Then what were they to do?


	41. One Problem Taken Care Of

Chapter 41 – One Problem Taken Care Of

Xemnas sat at his desk in his office, intently reading the latest issue of _The Xigbar Daily_. He made a few disgusted faces now and then, but his eyes never left the pages. Even as he reached for a bite of his mini vanilla cake, he kept his eyes fixed on the scandalous words Xigbar had written.

"That foolish number XIII is a bona fide molester," Xemnas muttered, putting his fork down. "No matter. As long as he does his job, it is no interest to me." He put down his magazine, actually quite relieved to stop wasting the eyes he prided himself on on such nonsense. Just as he reached for another bite of his cake, there was a light rap on the door. He retracted his fork, dropped it, and leaned back in his chair. "Come in."

The door opened and Saix proceeded inside. "Superior," he began, his usual dull expression on his face. "Shall I announce a meeting to the other members and order them to make themselves present in Where Nothing Gathers at once?"

Xemnas looked up at Saix and then down at his cake, acknowledging what number VII was talking about. He then folded his arms across his chest and contemplated. At length, he spoke. "I see no need."

Saix froze. "What?" he asked, trying to hide the shock in his voice. "You're not going to take action against these heretics?

Xemnas shook his head. "As long as they do their job, I see no harm in letting them believe these lies. I'm too busy with my exertion to be concerned."

Saix had the urge to roll his eyes, but he knew that would be very disrespectful. However, he couldn't help but object. "But sir! Soon all our members will follow in the footsteps of the keyblade troublemakers and believe Nobodies can feel this disgusting emotion called love!"

Xemnas met Saix's gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Kingdom Hearts must be completed; I will not jeopardize its completion just to liberate you from vomiting when you see number VIII, XII, XIII, or XIV!"

Saix sighed, trying with all the power he had within him to hold back his anger. "As you command, superior…"

"But I will speak with Axel and Larxene. Send them in," Xemnas commanded. Saix's face seemed to light up slightly, having some hope that Xemnas would end Axel and Larxene's relationship – or at least discourage it. He scurried out of the superior's office and started his search for number VIII and XII.

* * *

"Darnit, Axel, stop pacing!" Larxene growled. She, Roxas, and Xion were sitting down on one of the Grey Room's couches, but all Axel did was pace around, mumbling and grumbling.

"They shouldn't break up our relationship," Axel muttered as he continued to pace. "I don't care if they put us on some detail for a week or a month; I'm not one to grumble. They just can't break us apart…"

"Axel looks so nervous," Xion whispered to Roxas. "I've never seen him like this before…"

Roxas nodded, a worried look on his face. "Axel, are you okay?" But he got no response from Axel, number VIII just continued to pace and mumble. Roxas looked over at Larxene who looked like she was holding back hoards of anger. "Larxene…would now be a bad time to ask about your hacking information?"

As Larxene turned her head to meet Roxas' nervous gaze, a shadow passed over her face. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked absolutely terrifying. "What do you think?"

Roxas scooted so far away from Larxene on the couch that he was practically in Xion's lap. Xion pulled him back to rest his head against the armrest and started to stroke his cheeks, hoping to comfort him and stop him from shaking. "There, there, Roxas," she soothed.

"She scary," Roxas said in a tiny voice, still shaking. Xion continued to gently stroke him while Larxene just sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes.

Xion decided to plant a little kiss on Roxas' lips in attempt to calm him. As she was doing so, she felt a shadow tower over her so she quickly relinquished his lips and looked up. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she found that it was only Demyx.

"Aw, so cute!" Demyx exclaimed.

Roxas quickly sat up and gave Demyx an apprehensive look. "Um…can we help you?" His expression was just begging for Demyx to leave him and his girl alone.

A goofy grin appeared on Demyx's face. "Oh, I just came to congratulate you two." He reached over and shook a very confused Roxas' hand.

"For…what…?" Roxas asked, perplexed. But it all became clear to him when he noticed a folded up magazine under Demyx's arm. _The Xigbar Daily_. He opened his mouth to protest but Demyx interjected.

"When I first met you two I had _no_ idea you would turn out like this…I didn't know-"

"We didn't!" Roxas objected, flying up from the couch. This caused Axel to stop his pacing and grumbling and take notice.

Demyx tilted his head, a dumbfounded expression on his face. "You didn't. But this magazine says…"

"You're really going to believe everything your idiotic friend writes?" Roxas shouted, grabbing the magazine from Demyx's clutches and throwing it harshly to the floor.

At that moment, Xigbar appeared. "Did someone call me?" he asked with a grin. He looked to Roxas and then to the tousled magazine. "Oh, did wittle baby Roxy have a wittle tantrum?" he mocked.

"Shut up, Xigbar!" Xion exclaimed angrily from her seating position on the couch. The mention of Xigbar's name caused Larxene to wake up from her devious thoughts and realize her target was in her midst.

"You!" Larxene bellowed, dashing towards him. She began charging up all the electricity she possessed within her. Xigbar stepped back a few inches, a frightened look actually on his face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, number XII," came a monotone voice. All members present turned to see Saix appear.

Larxene halted her charging and placed a hand on her hip. "Curse superiors," she muttered.

"Xemnas wants to talk to you and Axel immediately," Saix reported, pretending he didn't hear Larxene's remark.

Axel's pupils dilated. "What? No big meeting?" he asked, pleasantly surprised.

Saix shook his head and then turned around. "Just come with me…" He started for the exit, expecting them to follow.

"I guess we better go, Larx," Axel said nervously, taking Larxene by the arm. As they followed Saix, they turned around to see Roxas and Xion crossing their fingers. "I hope everything goes all right…" Axel muttered, anxious.

* * *

Axel tapped lightly on the door of the Xemnas' office before entering, Larxene at his side. Xemnas looked up from the _clean_ newspaper he was reading and put it aside. "Have a seat," he said emotionlessly, staring into their eyes. They both sat in separate chairs, holding Xemnas' gaze and trying to conceal the worry in their eyes.

"You called us, sir?" Axel asked, propping his elbows up on the armrests.

"I did indeed," Xemnas answered. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together. "From what I've heard from Xigbar and Marluxia, it seems you two are following in the footsteps of our keyblade wielders."

Axel looked over at Larxene to see if she was going to respond. She had her face turned the other direction and he knew that she was anxious about the whole situation. He mouthed, _"Hang in there, Larx,"_ even though he knew she didn't see it. Number VIII turned his head back to his superior and answered, "If you mean by believing that Nobodies are capable of feeling love, then yes."

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "Care to elucidate why you believe such idiocy?"

Axel sensed Larxene tense up when Xemnas called love idiocy. He had the urge to argue that it wasn't, but he knew getting on the superior's bad side was not exactly the smartest idea. So he kept quiet, as Larxene struggled to do so. After taking a few deep breathes and driving away the urge to back-talk, he answered number I's question. "After Roxas and Xion found the joy of love in each other, I started to believe that I actually was feeling something when I was around Larxene. These feelings started before Roxas and Xion's relationship, but I would just pass them off as something I ate. Now…" His gaze turned to Larxene, a tender smile appearing on his face. "I know what I feel _is_ love."

Larxene turned her face to meet his gaze. "I feel the same, superior." Even though she was talking to Xemnas, her eyes were fixed on Axel's handsome face. "I used to flirt with Axel, and taunt him as well. It was because for some reason I was drawn to him. Something inside me kept telling me to…be near him. And now I've finally set some of my sadistic ways aside and have learned to treat Axel kindly…most of the time." She shot Axel a playful wink, which produced a lopsided grin on his face.

Xemnas, however, was not amused. He let out a grunt and then began his lecture. "I will not insist you discontinue this foolery, but I will advice against it. Nobodies have no hearts, therefore, we cannot feel emotions." Larxene scoffed, but Xemnas just continued. "Any emotion you _think_ you feel is really a trick of the mind. Love has no place among our ranks, and is not necessary for the completion of Kingdom Hearts. However, if it doesn't affect your work, I will allow you to believe what you want." His throat being a bit dry from the speech, he took a sip of his coffee.

Axel and Larxene's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Thank you, sir!" they exclaimed in unison.

Xemnas shrugged and reached for his newspaper again. "Very well, you are dismissed. Be sure to check with Saix for your missions." He unfolded the paper out in front of him and resumed reading the gripping article about the lazy science teacher who would move around his classroom via spinny-chair.

With bright smiles, number VIII and XII left Xemnas' office. Once the door was closed and they were out in the hall, they couldn't help but join in a joyful embrace.

"Even when you're hugging you're sadistic!" Axel chuckled. "You squeeze too tight!"

Larxene let out a giggle and squeezed him even tighter. "Pyro…" she sighed contently, resting her head on his shoulder. She then broke the embrace. "Come on, let's go tell the small-fries the good news!"

"Yeah, let's tell those half-pints," Axel agreed, wrapping an arm around his sadist. They then started towards the Grey Room – together.


	42. Love Notes

Chapter 42 – Love Notes

Axel and Larxene walked down the halls with a bounce in their step and proud smiles on their faces. They were incredibly relieved to be out of the hot water they had been in. Larxene looked up at Axel's attractive face and suppressed a giggle – the grin he wore was priceless.

"What?" Axel asked, stopping. He looked down at her with a confused expression which only made number XII giggle more. From the angle she was at, Axel's eyes looked crossed, giving him an exceptionally goofy expression.

"It's nothing," Larxene chuckled, wrapping her arms around number VIII's midsection. Axel just shrugged and continued on to the Grey Room.

After a few moments in silence, Larxene brought up a topic. "So what do you think those shorties are doing right now?" she asked.

"Roxas and Xion? Probably making out," Axel replied with a shrug. "That's what they usually do. Actually they pretty much do that all the time."

"You're one to talk," Larxene remarked under her breath. But she hadn't said it quiet enough, for it was audible to the Flurry of Dancing Flames.

"Oh you know it!" Axel said playfully, bringing the Savage Nymph into his arms.

"Axel!" Larxene hissed, struggling to escape his grasp. "Not now!" She summoned her throwing knives and threatened to stick them into the pyro's back.

Axel let out a sigh and a chuckle, releasing her. "I can never tell when you want me or not, Larx," he told her, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance.

"Save it, pyro," was Larxene's response. "We've still got a mission, or have you not gotten that memorized?" She tapped his forehead teasingly.

"Well my mind _has_ been on other things," he replied, eyeing her hungrily.

"Oh come on," Larxene said irritably. She grabbed him by the arm and started to drag him towards the Grey Room.

Once a few more minutes of walking had passed, they arrived in the Grey Room. It was fairly crowded that particular morning. Saix was at the head of the room as usual, and there were a few members crammed together among the set of couches on the right side of the room. Those members included Xigbar, Demyx, Vexen, Luxord, and Xaldin. Number IX, IV, X, and III were crowding Xigbar with questions about his latest issue and the trouble Larxene and Axel were supposedly in. Xigbar sat in the middle of the group, answering the questions as fast as he could.

"What crazy idea do you think Roxas has now?" Vexen inquired intently.

Xigbar smirked. "With that horny boy, who knows!"

The group of gossiping Nobodies was so absorbing in their conversations that they didn't notice anyone around them, including irritated Saix, Roxas and Xion on the set of couches located on the left side of the room, or the flaming-sparks couple who had just entered.

When Axel and Larxene turned their gaze to the two younger Nobodies, they found their hypotheses to be incorrect. Roxas and Xion weren't making out; rather, they were licking each other's faces.

"What on earth are you two doing? Axel asked as he and Larxene stopped in front of the two. They had disturbed expressions on their faces as they questioned the keyblade wielders.

"Licking each other," Roxas answered simply, slobbering Xion's cheek. Xion giggled and in return gave Roxas' nose a few licks.

"And may I ask _why_?" Axel inquired, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms across his chest.

"You may," Roxas answered, paying little attention to his friend. Instead, he licked his way down Xion's jawbone.

Before Axel could ask, Larxene butted in. "Why are you two doing this? Got tired of kissing?"

Roxas let out an appalled gasp, stopping what he was doing. "Get tired of kissing my Xi-Xi? Never!" He wrapped his arms around number XIV and clung to her tightly.

Axel let out a chuckle in response and took a seat next to his friends on the couch. "Whatever, mister puberty."

As Larxene took a seat next to Axel and Roxas stuck his tongue out at the pyro, Xion wore a confused expression. "Roxas, what's puberty?"

At that question, Roxas' face immediately reddened. "Um...it's uh…" he began, fidgeting in his seat. He could see Larxene and Axel smirking from the corner of his eye, which just made him more nervous. "Errr….you don't know?"

Xion shook her head, gazing at him with puzzlement. "Nope, no one ever told me…" she answered quietly.

Roxas' face began to heat up. How was he going to explain an awkward subject like that to Xion? "Well…" he began, starting to sweat. "You see, when people are our age their bodies…" He then froze, feeling the subject was too awkward to continue. "Ask Vexen!"

Before Xion could object, Axel changed the subject. "Hey you two, aren't you at all interested on how the meeting with the superior turned out?" he asked, sounding more hurt than he actually was.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Xion exclaimed. "We totally forgot! What did happen?"

Axel leaned back casually against the couch and folded his hands together behind his head. "We're off the hook," was his simple response.

Xion let out an excited gasp which earned a chuckle from Roxas. He was surprised too, but he also found Xion's reaction hilarious…and quite cute. "Really?" number XIV asked.

Larxene nodded with pride. "Yep. He told us the same thing he told you two – since it doesn't interfere with our work, we can believe this 'lie'."

"Which really isn't a lie," Roxas added with a lopsided smile. He placed his hand over Xion's to remind the world of their special bond.

Axel laughed inwardly. He turned to Larxene, just to discover that their faces were a mere few inches away. "Well hey there, Larx…" he said in a deep tone of voice. Roxas and Xion watched them curiously, anticipating their next movement. Larxene saw their wide eyes and just rolled her eyes; she then refocused on Axel.

Unfortunately, before anything could happen, Saix walked up. Larxene and Axel both groaned and turned to see what Saix the cockblocker wanted.

"Your missions are waiting," Saix said in an irate tone of voice.

Axel rolled his eyes in annoyance and stood up. "Where to now, x-marks-the-spot?" he inquired, resting a hand on his hip.

Saix summoned his mission roster (which was just a piece of paper on a tacky moon-covered clipboard) and started to read off some names. "Axel, your mission is in Halloween Town with Luxord. Larxene, your mission is in Beast's Castle. Roxas, you go to Neverland, and Xion, you go to Twilight Town."

"Hey, no fair!" Roxas exclaimed, flying up from the couch. "Why can't I have a mission with Xi-Xi?"

"Because I say so!" Saix shouted back at an ear-splitting volume. "Life doesn't revolve around you, foolish child."

Roxas looked up at Saix and blinked. "It doesn't?" he asked in a semi-high-pitched voice. The expression on his face was similar to one of a five-year-old child, looking up to his father in confusion.

"No!" Saix spat. "Why would it?"

In response, Roxas stuck out his arm and summoned his keyblade. "I has keyblade," he answered simply, a childish grin adorning his features. "You doesn't."

Saix's clenched his fists and tried to contain himself from striking the boy. Everything irritated him, for his "time of month" was drawing close. "If you value your keyblade, depart!" he shouted, saliva flying from his mouth and nearly missing Roxas' left ear. Before number XIII could make any witty, Axel-style remarks, Saix walked away.

Xion came up next to her best friend and took hold of his arm. "Nice, Roxas!" she giggled. "You got him really angry this time!"

"You sure did," Axel agreed, grinning. "You're becoming more and more like me each day."

Roxas' face started to redden at the compliments. "It was kinda fun…" he admitted. Then his eyes locked onto Xion's. "I'm sorry we can't be paired together for the mission today. But after our missions today we'll be able to hear Larxene's hacking info. Right Larxene?" He turned to look at Larxene but then quickly turned away. Axel and Larxene were currently engaged in a heated lip-lock. "Um…I think we better depart now Xion…" he said nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

Xion glanced over to Axel and Larxene's direction and agreed. "Yeah. Have fun in Neverland," she told him with a tender smile.

Roxas chuckled. "Have fun in Twilight Town." He leaned forward and gave Xion's cheek a quick kiss before teleporting out. Xion let out a subdued sigh and opened her dark corridor to Twilight Town.

* * *

Xion brushed the loose strands of ebony hair from her face as she proceeded through the streets of Twilight Town. "Missions without Roxas sure are lonely…" she sighed, holding her keyblade loosely in her hand. At that moment, of band of shadow Heartless, along with a few Scarlet Tangos mixed in, appeared in her path. "Well there's no time to mope now!" She fastened her grip on the keyblade and began to swing away at the Heartless. The battle was, for most part, effortless. The amateur Heartless were eliminated with a few swift blows.

After all the hearts from that group of Heartless were collected, Xion continued on her way. "I wonder if Saix gave me this easy mission just because he has no faith in me…" she mumbled, feeling a bit downcast. "Roxas is a keyblade wielder just like me, yet his missions are more challenging. Saix just thinks because I'm not really a Nobody I won't be able to do my job right…" She paused as she came to the entrance of Tram Common. Once her eyes had finished taking in the small-town beauty, she started across the sienna cobblestone path.

As number XIV made her way across Tram Common, she passed several people who were engaged in their own activities. On the right of her were Pence, Hayner, and Olette, crafting together a slightly smaller model airplane. A smile appeared on her face, remembering the time Roxas had gone flying. That caused her to realize that Roxas was yet again sent to Neverland without her. After letting out a wistful sigh, she continued on.

At the far end of Tram Common, just as she was about to exit, she noticed the spa she and Larxene had visited once. And at the front of the building, Mrs. Exaresweet was present, sweeping the welcome mat clean. The elderly lady threw Xion a little wave which she returned with a smile.

When she arrived at Station Plaza, she found it deserted. "Don't tell me that band of Heartless was the only Heartless in all of Twilight Town," she groaned, taking a seat on the sidewalk. A frustrated sigh escaped the replica's lips. "I could be doing more use elsewhere, like with Roxas…" She brought her chin to her knees with another sigh. "Saix just doesn't want me to be with Roxas, that's all…or go to Agrabah…" Because of her sitting position, she suddenly felt something in her pocket. It wasn't the seashell Roxas gave her, it felt different. Like paper. She stuck her hand into her pocket and fished out a piece of paper, folded neatly into fourths. "What could this be?" Xion wondered. "Hopefully not something perverted from Xigbar, hurtful from Saix, or demanding from Xemnas." With a deep breath, she unfolded the paper and scanned over the contents. She sighed in relief when she noticed the bottom was signed 'Roxas'. Now affirmed who it was from, she read it eagerly.

_Dear Xion,_

_ Hey, Xi, how are you? Good I hope. Just so you know, I wrote this last night and stuck it in your coat pocket this morning. (That is if everything went according to my plan.) But if you're reading this, I guess it did. Anyways, I better stop rambling and get to the point. I had a feeling we wouldn't be paired together, so this is why I wrote this. Even though you're alone, please don't be sad. You know that I love you, and you're also a very important member of this organization. Even though Saix doesn't treat you that way, don't care what he has to say, he's not important. It would help if you just viewed him as a confused guy and laughed at every confused thing he says. Like when he says that love isn't real, or that you're just a puppet…laugh. It really helps. Of course you can't believe what he says is true either. Oh, and if you ever feel like the mission you're sent on is not important, remember that every heart that's collected counts. Now be a good little Xion and wait on top of the clock tower for me, I'll try to hurry with my mission. Keep holding on, Xi. Please…for me._

_Love, Roxas_

A small tear fell down upon the paper as Xion folded it back up and put it in her pocket. "Thank you, Roxas…" she whispered. "It's like you knew exactly what was going through my mind…I hope you find the little special thing I left for you…" She then wiped her eyes, stood up, and headed for the clock tower.

* * *

Roxas wiped the sweat off his brow as the Ruler of the Sky exploded into hundreds of little hearts, which his keyblade collected promptly. He stumbled backwards in exhaustion and fell back on his rear, seating himself in the cool, dew-covered grass. "I didn't know that more than one of these bosses existed," he panted, completely worn out from the brawl. "Oh well, it's over now. As soon as I regain my strength I can go to Twilight Town to see Xion." At the thought of Xion, a smile stretched across his face. To relax, he leaned his back against a fallen palm tree and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Suddenly he felt something in his pocket, so he curiously stuck his hand in to see what it was. As soon as he identified it as paper, he started to panic. "Oh no! What if I made a stupid mistake and put my note to Xion in my pocket instead of hers? That would be just stupid! Oh stupid, stupid, stupid Roxy!" After he was finished hitting himself on the forehead a few times, he decided to open the note. When he saw that it was indeed _not_ his note to Xion, rather it was _from_ Xion, his eyes grew wide. "Xion wrote me a note?" he asked in a high-pitched voice. He excitedly began to read it.

_Dear Roxas,_

_ Hey there, blonde boy! Saix hates me so I was guessing he wouldn't pair us together, that's why I wrote this. I hope you have fun fighting all those Heartless. I don't think it's fair that Saix makes you fight more Heartless than me, you need rest too! If you want to just sleep on top of the clock tower instead of eat ice cream, that's fine with me. It's hard to eat and sleep at the same time, and if you're really that tired you might wake up and realize you rolled on top of your ice cream and you're all sticky. So feel free to skip ice cream today, sweetie. And if you have any wounds, I'll bandage them. What are best friends for? If you're worrying about Agrabah, then don't. Sure it would be nice for me to learn about how the heck I'm alive, but it doesn't matter as much as your peace of mind. I just want __**you**__to be happy, Roxas, I don't matter. You're my love and as long as I'm alive I'll try to make you happy. I'm looking forward to spending time with you after our missions. But you don't have to rush; I don't want you to accidentally hurt yourself. Just take your time, Roxy._

_Forever yours, Xion_

"Wow…" Roxas breathed as he put down the note. "We must have been thinking the same thing about these notes. I hope she finds and likes hers…I know I like this." He pressed the note against his chest where his heart would be if he possessed one. It took him another second to get his energy back; he stood up and started to run. Faster and faster he ran, his speed increasing considerably as he remembered the words of the note. "I don't know why I always miss you when we're apart, but I'll be at the clock tower soon," he said with determination. He skidded to a stop in front of the dark corridor and hastily teleported to Twilight Town.


	43. Dear Diary

Chapter 43 – Dear Diary

Xion looked out to the orange horizon and sighed wistfully. Her hair was lightly blowing in the breeze as she sat up on the clock tower, waiting for her friends. As she concentrated on the setting sun she couldn't help but wonder if she was in reality or if it was all a hallucination. Things of the past usually passed through her mind when she was alone, and the present time was no different.

Without any warning, Xion felt arms wrap around her body from behind. She gasped lightly in surprise and looked up to identify the embracer.

"Hey, there, Xion," Roxas said tenderly, flashing a bright smile. "How are you?"

Xion tilted her head back and giggled. "Just great, Roxas."

"Good," number XIII responded. Then he made another spontaneous move. He picked up Xion so her rear was no longer touching the clock tower's surface and took a seat under her. With a chuckle, he set her down on his lap and continued his hug.

Xion nervously looked over the edge of the clock tower and started to feel a bit dizzy. "Roxas…" she began cautiously.

Roxas tightened his grip on her. "Don't worry, Xi, I've got you. You won't fall." He then began to nuzzle her black hair with his nose. With a nervous laugh, Xion tried to relax. "Are you warm enough, Xi?" Roxas asked, concerned. "It can get a little chilly up here."

Number XIV looked back at Roxas' tender face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for caring…" There was a moment of silence while the two just gazed into each other's eyes, lost in the implausible shades of blue. Then Xion recalled something. "Oh! And thanks for that sweet note you put in my pocket! It…really helped me." Her lips curved into a peaceful grin. She then slowly rested her head on his chest and her eyes closed.

"I'm glad it helped," Roxas whispered, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. "And thank you so much for the note you gave me. You really are a wonderful girl." His arms fastened around her tighter as he let his love for her flow out through his embrace.

They sat in the tranquility of the sunset together for a few more moments before company started to arrive. Both Axel and Larxene chuckled when they saw the way Roxas was holding Xion. "Sorry to interrupt, but you two really need to know this information," Axel said, announcing his presence. Xion and Roxas met his gaze.

"Hey Axel," Roxas greeted. "And hey Larxene."

"Hi you two," Xion said with a smile.

As Axel sat down, Roxas noticed that the Nobody had four sea salt ice cream pops in his hand. He licked his lips, eagerly anticipation the salty-sweet goodness.

"Here you are, Larx," Axel said, giving the seated Larxene an ice cream pop. "And here you are Roxas and Xion, whichever part of this blob is you." He handed the two their ice creams as they giggled. Their black coats seemed to blend against the bright orange background, making Axel see them as one being, rather than two.

After excited Roxas had a few licks of the ice cream, he began to calm down. As his three friends licked their ice cream in sync, he realized that now he could finally find out what data Larxene had gathered when hacking into Xemnas' computer. "Larxene, what's the news?" he asked anxiously.

"Ah," Larxene remembered, taking her ice cream away from her lips. "Finally I get to tell you two. I told Axel on the way here, so he already knows. But it's time you two found out."

"Found out what?" Xion asked impatiently. "What'd you find?"

"I didn't find anything straight forward," number XII began. "But I did find some diary entries that old blubber-face wrote not too long ago."

"Blubber-face," Axel snickered, interrupting her. But she wasn't too happy about that.

"Don't interrupt," the Savage Nymph ordered, elbowing him in the stomach. After Axel had finished groaning in pain, she proceeded. She took out a few crumbled pieces of paper from her coat pocket and straightened them out. Then she began reading them aloud:

"_Dear Diary,_

_With both member XIII and member XIV of Organization XIII gone, we face now two choices. 1. We can somehow find a way to bring number XIII back. 2. We can attempt to seek after Sora._

_-Lord Xemnas"_

"_Dear Diary,_

_I sent Axel out to retrieve Roxas today, but he returned with ghastly news. Somehow Roxas is no longer in the Simulated Twilight Town. I'm sending members to all worlds to search for number XIII, expectantly one will locate him._

_-Superior Xemnas"_

"_Dear Diary,_

_No good fortune today with the Roxas hunt. All members reported back negative. Though I do find the behavior of Demyx, who searched in Agrabah, rather peculiar. I'll have to cross-examine him tomorrow."_

_-The Great Xemnas"_

"_Dear Diary,_

_After threatening to throw his sitar out of the very highest window of the castle, I finally got Demyx to enlighten me on what he was concealing. He had found Roxas in the care of the blue Genie in Agrabah, but the Genie made him vow not to reveal this. Tomorrow I will visit that Genie and find out his motive. What exactly does he plan to achieve by holding my keyblade wielder hostage?_

_-His Majesty Xemnas"_

"Well, that's all I got. I couldn't hack into the files marked "SUPER DUPER SECRET, IF YOU OPEN THIS AND YOU'RE NOT XEMNAS YOU WILL DIE"," Larxene concluded, putting the paper back in her pocket.

"Axel!" Xion shouted suddenly. "Something's wrong with Roxas!" Axel turned his attention away from Larxene's lips and onto his two younger buddies. That is when he noticed Roxas' condition. Number XIII was clutching his head and moaning in pain, starting to sway back and force. He and Xion were both in a dangerous position because of this – with one wrong move they could be sent falling off the clock tower. But luckily Axel sprung into action.

"Come here you two," number VIII said, bringing them away from the edge. "Now Roxas, what the heck is wrong?"

Roxas squeezed his head as he tried to explain. "Head…ache…memories…coming…back…Genie…Agrabah…AAHH!" At Roxas' shriek, Xion wrapped her arms around him and tried to comfort him.

"Those diary entries must have triggered something!" Axel shouted to Larxene. "Larx, Xi, help me take him to his room!"

"AHHHH!" Roxas cried in pain. He kept pounding at his head, trying everything possible to make it stop. But the excruciating pain would not cease. "Xi-Xion! Help me!"

"Don't worry, Roxas, you're going to be okay," Xion said, trying to sound calm. She then helped Axel and Larxene lift him off the ground. Once he was elevated, Axel opened the dark corridor and they left the clock tower.

* * *

Roxas lay on his bed, kicking and groaning in his sleep. Axel and Larxene stood by the end of his bed while Xion kneeled right by his pillow, watching his struggle for a good night's sleep. "Poor Roxas…" Xion said, gazing at him sorrowfully. "I've never seen him like this. Axel, why is he acting this way?"

"Maybe someone doesn't want him to find out why he's back in the Organization," Axel suggested. "Maybe they're afraid he'll leave if he finds out that he has left before."

"He wouldn't leave…" Xion whimpered, staring at Roxas' troubled face. "Not when I'm still here…"

"Ngh!" Roxas cringed in his sleep, flopping over from one side to another. "X-Xion! I want Xion!"

Xion responded to his cries immediately. "I'm right here, Roxas!" But Roxas couldn't hear her, thus he continued to shout her name.

"Yeah…I don't think that's a wet dream, even though he is calling your name," Axel observed.

"Yeah, he looks in pain," Larxene agreed.

Xion looked at the two with confusion. "What? What's a wet dream?" she inquired.

"N-nothing," Axel answered quickly with a snicker. Roxas' loud cry caused Xion to refocus her attention on him.

"Roxas…" Xion whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I hate to see you like this…" She placed her hand in her pocket and took out their 'promise' seashell. Then she carefully placed it next to his pillow. "Stay with me…"

"Don't worry, Xion, he's not going to die," Axel reassured her, managing his best smile.

"I still hate to see him in pain…" Xion replied softly, her eyes still glued on the distressed boy.

Axel took a step closer. "Come on, he'll be better in the morning. I think we better leave." He placed a comforting hand on Xion's shoulder.

"Yes…" Larxene agreed. "Let's leave him for the night." She started towards the door.

"AAHHH!" Roxas shrieked, clutching his head in agony. "Conflict…inside…of…me!" His panting became heavier as he slashed away at the nothingness before him.

"No!" Xion answered stubbornly. "I'm staying with him! I can't leave him!" She placed a hand on Roxas' only 'still' hand, which was just trembling.

Axel let out a sigh, indecisive on what to do. He look at Xion's determined eyes and then back at Larxene who was mouthing 'go'. "Well….all right," he finally decided. "Just don't let him hurt you and don't do anything naughty." He then took his hand off her shoulder and exited the room with Larxene.

"The pain!" Roxas cried, thrashing around wildly.

"Shhh," Xion whispered soothingly, climbing onto his bed. "Everything's going to be all right now…I'm here." She didn't seem to fear his battering as she curled up under the covers next to him, wrapping him in her embrace. "Just calm down, Roxy…"


	44. Innocent

Chapter 44 – Innocent

Kingdom Hearts was shining brighter than ever, signaling the start of night. Larxene and Axel headed down the hallways towards their bedrooms, seeking rest after a hard day. Larxene did care somewhat about Roxas and Xion, but not enough to be kept awake from worrying about Roxas' present condition. Axel on the other hand knew he needed rest, but the concern of his best friend was bound to keep him conscious.

As they headed down one of the eastern hallways they approached the lounge. The lounge was a place some of the organization members enjoyed hanging out after Saix closed the Grey Room. These particular hours of darkness seemed to be a crowded night for the lounge. Number VIII and XII heard the male laughter even when they were still a few hallways down.

"Sounds like Luxord brought out the rum again," Axel whispered as he and Larxene moved closer.

"They seem to be more chipper tonight," Larxene observed. "Let's find out why."

So the Flurry of Dancing Flames and the Savage Nymph concealed themselves behind the open door, watching through the crack where the door was hinged to the wall. Inside they saw Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Zexion, Lexaeus, Luxord, and Marluxia sitting around on a large, leather, semicircle couch.

"It's good to have you back, Zexion and Lexaeus," Xigbar said, slapping the two on the back.

"Yes," Vexen agreed. "It's a relief my science crew has recovered. Now we can get to those pleasurable experiments!"

"Pleasurable, eh?" Xigbar asked, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do you do?"

"Vexen finds blowing things up pleasurable," Zexion responded dully. "While I find reading pleasurable."

Luxord started to laugh madly, obviously drunk. "Yeah, you should get a load of what he reads!" he exclaimed, slapping his knee. Zexion just rolled his eyes and ignored the drunkard.

Marluxia turned to Xigbar. "Xigbar, do you think Xemnas has forbidden Axel and Larxene's relationship?" he inquired, his voice monotone yet curious and hopeful.

Xigbar relaxed back on the couch comfortably. "I don't see how he couldn't have. Those two should know better than to follow the example of immature children," he answered with a smirk. Marluxia let out a relieved sigh and relaxed a bit more.

"Yes, so enjoy life, laddie!" Luxord cheered, tossing Marluxia a bottle of rum. Marluxia looked down at the bottle disgustedly and set it aside, not wanting to have anything to do with it.

"So tell us, Xigbar…" Xaldin began, leaning forward intently. "Have you gathered anymore _interesting _information?"

"Yes, Xigbar…" Vexen joined in. "Tell us some more gossip…"

"Gossip!" Luxord cried, raising his empty glass high. The intoxicated Nobody then began to chant and tried to get others to join in.

In a few moments everyone other than Xigbar, Zexion, and Lexaeus were chanting, "Gossip! Gossip! Gossip!"

Xigbar put up his hands for silence. "All right, all right," he replied, a smug smile on his face. "I have some _very_ juice news for you." Some of the Nobody's eyes dilated in excitement when hearing this. "So on my way here…" number II began. His voice was low, but not low enough to be inaudible for Larxene and Axel. "I was walking by Roxas' room. And guess what I heard…"

"Snoring?" Luxord guessed, shakily holding his glass while he poured himself more rum.

"Sleep talking?" Marluxia estimated.

Xigbar shook his head, his lips curving into a smirk. "No, better than that. I heard moaning…and Xion's name being shouted."

All the members in the room gasped, and even Luxord took his attention off rum for a moment. Axel and Larxene rolled their eyes, feeling it was almost time to step in.

"You mean they did…?" Xaldin asked in disbelief.

As Xigbar readied his head to nod, Axel and Larxene made their entrance. "Xigbar, Xigbar, Xigbar," Axel chided, shaking his head. "Must you always assume things?"

"What do you mean, Flamesilocks?" Xigbar inquired in a challenging matter.

"Hey Axel!" Luxord greeted with a hiccup. Axel rolled his eyes at the drunk and turned back to Xigbar.

"I know for a fact that Roxas was not doing anything naughty, in reality or in his dreams," Axel stated, folding his arms across his chest in a simple fashion.

"Oh yeah?" the Freeshooter asked. "Prove it then."

All eyes were on Axel as number VIII began to speak. "If you're not tone deaf then maybe you'd realize that those weren't pleasure-filled moans. Roxas was in PAIN. P-A-I-N. Got it memorized?"

"Axel's telling the truth, I was there," Larxene confirmed. "Roxas got a splitting headache, a really nasty one. And as for calling Xion's name, he's such a softy. Being with Xion comforts him, that's why he wanted her. Really, Xiggy, you're such a perv."

Xigbar sighed. "Drat, they're still innocent," he said, disappointed.

Vexen sat up straight and raised his hand. "I can examine her to see if she still has her virginity," he said in a suggestive tone of voice.

Axel immediately gagged. "If you do that Roxas will have your head!" he exclaimed.

"Pedo," Larxene muttered, glaring at Vexen.

"It was just a joke," Vexen said, sounding like a rejected puppy. He put his head down, pretending to be hurt.

There was a moment of silence between the members before Marluxia realized something. "Hey wait a minute…" number XI said. "Aren't you two supposed to be split up?" Xigbar immediately grabbed his notepad and pen, eagerly waiting for the news broadcast.

"Nope," Larxene answered proudly, resting her elbow on Axel's shoulder. "Xemnas doesn't care. So sorry, but you failed _epically_."

"Yes Marluxia, we're both terribly sorry," Axel told the Nobody, sarcasm thick in his voice. "But maybe you'll have better luck with Namine. You've always struck me as a pedophile anyways." As Marluxia began to growl, Axel and Larxene let out a few sadistic laughs and then exited.

"She's influenced him sadistically," Xigbar observed, taking notes.

* * *

_An odd vision came into Roxas' head. It started out in a rather cluttered tan building. The figures inside weren't fully visible yet; only their silhouettes were shown. Suddenly there was a loud rapping on the door. One of the silhouettes, a very large one, went to answer it. _

"_Open up, this is the police!" a booming voice from the other side of the door shouted. _

_The person opened it and said, "You don't look like the police."_

_The caller shoved their way into the house and started searching around. "Where is he? Where's my missing member?"_

"_I don't know who you're talking about," the large figure replied._

_The person, who could be told from his voice that they were a man, began to search the house more vigorously. Suddenly he pulled away a blanket and uncovered something. "Aha! Here he is!"_

"_Sir, don't wake him up!" the silhouette cautioned. "He needs his rest."_

"_He needs to come back! We need him!" the man shouted._

_The figure shook its head. "No, he won't come back. Not without the girl he keeps calling for in his dreams."_

_The man rolled his eyes and looked down at the sleeping person. The person in slumber started to toss back and force, calling out an inaudible name._

"_See what I mean?" the figure asked. "Even if you take him back now, I doubt he would stay."_

"_Well how can I bring that girl back?" the man hissed. "Those two can't coexist!"_

_The figure leaned back and cracked its knuckles. "Well now, I know a way to fix that."_

_The man looked up at the silhouette anxiously. "You do?" he asked quickly. _

_

* * *

_

Roxas flew up into a sitting position as if a booming noise had awakened him. He panted heavily as his eyes scanned the room, trying to make out where he was. After a few moments of recollecting, he rubbed his head and laid back down with a groan. That is when he came face-to-face with Xion. She was lying next to him in his bed, sleeping peacefully. His mood totally changed after that. A smile appeared and he wrapped his arms around her. "Xion…" he whispered. "Xion…"

Xion's eyelids slowly opened, revealing her bright blue eyes. "Good morning Roxas," she said with a yawn.

"Déjà vu," Roxas chuckled, bringing her closer. "Didn't you sleep with me when I was on the clock tower?" He used that expression, being the innocent boy he is, not knowing that there was another meaning to it.

"Yes, but this is more comfy," Xion answered, grinning widely. "So how are you? Is your head better?" She reached up and gently moved some of Roxas' bangs away from his forehead.

Roxas' smile widened. "Yeah, once I feel asleep I was fine," he answered. "Although I did have a weird dream..."

"Weird dream?" Xion asked, tilting her head. "What was it about?"

Roxas looked over at her concerned expression and decided it was best not to worry her. "Nah, it's nothing. Just one of those random crazy dreams, you know?" He let out a chuckle and lightly tapped her nose.

Xion looked into his eyes for a moment, trying to decide whether to believe him or not. "Okay, if you say so," she replied, burying her face in his chest.

Suddenly the door swung open, startling them both. "Good morning you two," Axel greeted in a sing-song voice, entering the room. The two groaned and hid themselves under the covers. "Haha, don't want to get up?" number VIII asked.

"Go away, Axel," Xion mumbled, her voice muffled by the blankets.

Axel chuckled. "Enjoying yourselves, you two? I hope you didn't do anything naughty."

Roxas pulled away the covers and glared at Axel. "We didn't! Why does everyone assume we did?" he snapped.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames shrugged. "Dunno. I guess you're one of the few innocent people left."

"I like being innocent," Xion remarked, cuddling Roxas close.

Axel watched the two for a few more moments before interrupting. "Well I'm sorry to break up the fun, but we do have missions today. Be in the Grey Room in ten minutes or Saix will rip you apart." When the two gave him their nods in agreement, he left the room.


	45. Agrabah at Last

Chapter 45 – Agrabah at Last

Saix slapped his forehead as he watched some of his finest recruits "prepare" for their missions. If it wasn't for the talk he had with Xemnas earlier about lashing out at some of the members, the organization would be missing a few Nobodies.

"Hand me the glue, Axel," Demyx said, concentrating on his craft. He, Axel, and Zexion were gathered around a small table in the Grey Room, doing what Saix called feeble-minded – making paper airplanes.

Axel shot Demyx a confused look. "What do you need glue for? We're making paper airplanes!" He looked back down at his piece of paper and continued folding.

Demyx sighed and sat back as his paper unfolded in front of him. "Yeah, but I suck at folding!"

Before Zexion could make a remark on how he felt so idiotic, Roxas and Xion appeared. They were practically dragging themselves into the Grey Room, yawning and rubbing their eyes sleepily.

Axel got up from his sitting position to greet them. "Hey there, sleepyheads. Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed," he said with a chuckle. Roxas just mumbled something incoherent and forced himself forward, almost tripping over Xion. Xion did the same until they both bumped into their buddy Axel. Number VIII put his hands on their shoulders and tried to wake them up by shaking. "Wow you two, you really are sleepy."

At that moment Xigbar was walking by with a stack of magazines, on his way to the Moogle post office. He stopped in front of the three with a chuckle. "Tired each other out last night?" He shot them a wink.

As soon as Roxas saw the wink, he shook his head wildly, trying to wake himself up. "N-n-no!" he exclaimed. Xion looked shocked too, but she was still half asleep.

"Leave," Axel muttered, glaring at Xigbar. Number II could tell from his eyes that he meant business. So he shrugged and continued on his way. When Xigbar was no longer in sight, Axel turned back to his friends. "Come on, let's get our missions. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can have ice cream." As he gently pushed the two forward, he added under his breath, "and the sooner I can have fun with Larxene…"

"Wait," Roxas said drowsily, looking up at Axel. "Larxene was at the clock tower when I got that headache. Shouldn't I tell her I'm all right? I mean…she is part of this mystery too…"

"Hmm…" Axel mused. "You do have a point there. But Larxene likes to sleep late. I'll tell her the next time I see her."

Roxas nodded and continued to let himself be pushed by Axel. Once they were in front of Saix, number VII looked up from his clipboard. Saix didn't show many emotions other than anger, but he actually looked partially relieved. Probably because some of the members were actually getting their missions as they were instructed to do.

"We're here for our missions, Moonlighter," Axel reported, pushing his little friends forward. Roxas and Xion were more awake by this time, but not exactly totally conscious.

Saix ignored the nickname and looked through his clipboard. He noticed that he had everyone else assigned to missions except for those three, and there was barely enough room left. He had to find a way to squeeze them in. "Hmm…Axel, you go to Halloween Town." He handed Axel a card which described his mission.

"Thanks, Isa!" Axel exclaimed cheerfully, taking the card and stepping aside.

Saix rolled his eyes and looked back down at his clipboard. Roxas and Xion were studying his face carefully and were surprised when they noticed his expression change. He actually wore a look of worry and concern. "There's only…one mission left," he murmured, his eyes scanning the paper frantically. "In Agrabah…"

Roxas, Xion, and Axel quickly took note that Saix didn't want them to go to Agrabah. Apparently Xemnas was still hiding something.

"That's fine, they'll take that," Axel spoke up, desperately wanting them to mission in Agrabah.

"Wait," Saix said hesitantly, taking a step back. "Axel, you go to Agrabah." He reached over, attempting to take Axel's Halloween Town card away from him; but the pyro pulled it out of reach.

"No way, Agrabah gives me nightmares," number VIII fibbed, holding tightly onto his card. "Halloween Town is the place for me."

Saix's eyes darted around the room anxiously before finally deciding. He held his head down in shame as he handed Roxas and Xion the Agrabah card. "You two go to Agrabah…" he grumbled.

Roxas and Xion gasped excitedly and number XIII took the card from him. They walked a few yards away from Saix and then exchanged joyful glances. "Maybe we'll finally be able to solve this mystery," Roxas whispered, holding Xion's hands in his.

"Yeah," Xion responded softly, gazing into his eyes. She found herself subconsciously moving her face towards him, his eyes drawing her in.

Axel noticed this, and also noticed the irritated expression on Saix's face. There was a chance Saix would take away their mission if they didn't behave themselves in the Grey Room; so he found it necessary he interrupt them. "Dark corridor's over here, love birds," he told them, opening a dark corridor up next to his. Roxas and Xion groaned and made their way over to the portal.

"You really know how to ruin a moment," Roxas muttered as he stepped a foot into the portal.

Axel folded his arms across his chest. "Hey, just doing my job," he replied wittily. He gave Roxas a pat on the back which sent him all the way through the dark corridor. Once Xion had also gone through and it had closed, he started to enter his own.

"Wait, what about the airplanes?" Demyx called, noticing the Flurry of Dancing Flames was about to depart.

"Go do your mission!" Axel responded. Demyx slumped back on the floor as he left.

* * *

Roxas and Xion were reminded just how hot Agrabah was as soon as they stepped out of the portal. The blazing sun assaulted them and the burning sun scorched their feet (even though they were wearing boots), causing them to flee under a tarp. The sand under there was cooler, cool enough to even sit in. So they seated themselves in the sand and went over their mission.

Roxas took the mission card out of his pocket and read it over in his mind. He then turned to Xion who was staring at him anxiously. "We have to kill twenty Luna Bandits."

Xion titled her head curiously, looking at the card in Roxas' hand. "Luna Bandits? I don't think I've encountered those before…they must be new."

"Yeah," Roxas shrugged. "I guess."

There was a moment of silence as their eyes scanned the barren city. It looked deserted again; they wondered if the Genie was around. At length, number XIII spoke. "So you wanna look for the Genie? Or the Luna Bandits?"

Xion thought for a moment before replying. "Hm…Genie? I really want to straighten this whole thing out."

Roxas' lips curved into a tender smile. He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we will." He then stood up, helping Xion up with him. "The Genie's house is over there," he said, pointing to a yellow-colored shack. "Let's go see if anyone's home."

They trekked across the hot sand again, the heat penetrating their boots and boiling their feet. The two tried to make their journey across the sand as quick and short as possible. Soon they were in front of their destination, quite relieved to find no "be back soon" sign on the door. Xion stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer inside the house via the front window.

"See anyone?" Roxas asked in a whisper, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Xion strained her eyes, trying to make out any figures inside the building. "No, it's too dark," she whispered back. Turning her head away from the window, she joined Roxas.

"Maybe there's a better window around on the other side of the house," Roxas suggested softly.

"Maybe," Xion replied with a nod. "Let's go check."

So they carefully made their way to the side of the house, making sure not to step on loose boards or kick their feet against pottery. It was a somewhat tricky route, but they finally made their way to another window.

Xion leaned against the window and tried to see in, but again it was too dark. She stepped back and sighed. "Nothing. Can't see a thing."

Roxas put his hands in his coat pockets and leaned his back against the building behind him. He was trying to think up another solution as Xion gazed at him curiously. Suddenly he thought of something. "The door. Have we tried the front door?"

Number XIV shook her head. "No, we haven't," she replied, keeping her soft tone of voice. "But do you think we should just intrude?"

"Dunno," Roxas shrugged. "If we're sneaky enough I doubt anyone will notice."

Xion glanced around the scenery hesitantly, making sure it really was deserted. "Well…if it's the only way…" she started.

"I'm pretty sure it is," Roxas answered in a whisper. "It's not like just standing here and letting the flies land on us will find out how you're alive." He shooed a fly out of his spiky hair.

Xion let out a soft giggle and agreed. "Okay, let's go back." She lifted up a foot and pivoted on the other one, trying to set herself in the proper direction. But when she put her raised foot down, it landed inconveniently on a loose board. The board sprung back, sending her tumbling backwards. The next thing she knew, both she and Roxas were lying on the ground, with her awkwardly on top of him. "Um...hi…" Xion said with a nervous chuckle.

Roxas winced. "Xion, that made an awful loud noise. I hope no one-" But his words were cut short by the sound of an opening door. Obviously someone was inside and had heard the noise of the clumsy Nobodies. They didn't hear any footsteps, surprisingly, but they felt someone approaching.

Suddenly a figure immerged from behind the corner, blocking the sunlight that had been streaming into the narrow alley. Once Roxas and Xion's eyes adjusted to the new lighting, they could distinguish the figure. It was the Genie, though he looked somewhat odd. He was wearing scientific lab goggles on the top of his head.

The Genie put his hands on his hips and looked down at the Nobodies. "Finally came to pay your debt, eh Roxas?"


	46. Heeeeere's Genie!

Chapter 46 – Heeeeere's Genie!

Roxas gulped. "P-pay?" He tried to scoot backwards but with Xion on top of him, it was impossible. Not that he would be able to get anywhere, even if he was unburdened. Behind him was the wall of Agrabah, and on both sides of him were buildings. And of course, in front of him, was the Genie.

"Yeah, pay," the Genie confirmed. "I may not have to have a master anymore, but that doesn't mean I give out free magic to every lost kitten." Suddenly there was a meow and Roxas and Xion spotted a little kitten sniffing at the Genie and looking pitiful. The Genie turned his attention away from the Nobodies and bent down to pet the kitten. "Aw, you hungry?" he asked the little cat, scratching its cheek. He suddenly made a giant cooked fish appear in his hands. "Here you go little one." He gave the food to the joyful kitten. After the hungry kitten started to dig in, Genie turned his attention back to number XIII and XIV. "Now what was I saying?"

Roxas looked curiously at the Genie, raising an eyebrow. "That you weren't going to hand out free magic to every lost kitten…"

"Oh right," Genie recalled. "Well I'm not! Not even a-" He suddenly turned into a smaller genie with spiky blond hair and glided over to Roxas. "'Thank you very much Genie'," he said in a deep voice, trying to mimic Roxas (even though the boy's voice wasn't deep). "Or…" Then he appeared on the other side of Roxas and suddenly had black hair and eyelashes. "'Oh, Genie, you're my hero!'" he gushed in a high-pitched voice, trying to imitate Xion. He then turned back to his normal self and retook his place. "No, I got none of that. Instead I got 'but what did you do for me?'"

"But what _did_ you do for me?" Roxas asked. He would have stood up if Xion wasn't still on top of him. The two Nobodies both wore quizzical expressions.

Genie's jaw dropped wide open. "You mean you STILL don't know?" he asked, appalled.

Roxas eyed him suspiciously. "Um…we have a guess…are you the one who turned the organization back to normal?"

"BINGO!" the Genie exclaimed, flashing lights reading 'bingo' appearing next to him. A party noisemaker sounded and there was a round of the applause. "Someone give this boy a prize!" His special effects disappeared when Xion spoke.

"It seemed pretty obvious once Larxene hacked into Xemnas' computer," she said, getting up off of Roxas. Number XIII then stood up next to her.

The Genie scratched his chin. "Xemnas…ah yes, the big fellow with the orange skin…" His color turned orange and silver locks came out of his head. "No, Roxas, I am your father," he said in a very deep voice. Then he turned back into his original form. "That guy?"

"Uhh…close enough," Roxas answered skeptically.

"Genie, why did you fix the organization anyways?" Xion inquired, stepping forward.

Genie headed towards the front door. "Come inside and I'll tell ya," he responded, gesturing to them.

Roxas started to follow but Xion caught his hand. "Wait, Roxas. Do you really think we should?" She had a look of worry in her azure eyes.

Number XIII stopped and studied her apprehensive look. "He doesn't seem legit to you?" he inquired.

Xion shrugged, watching the Genie enter the hut. "I don't know…but you can never be too careful," she said.

Roxas squeezed her hand, reassuring her everything would be all right. "Thanks for caring, Xi," he told her, a gentle smile on his face. "But if something does go wrong, we always have our keyblades."

A small smile graced Xion's features. "Okay," she agreed. The two then followed the Genie inside.

As soon as they entered the hut, the door immediately slammed behind them. The room was now pitch-black, and the Genie was nowhere in sight. Roxas and Xion summoned their keyblades, feeling the air around them grow eerie.

"I had a feeling this was a trap," Xion breathed, turning her head quickly to make sure no one was creeping up on her.

At the sound of a trumpet, the eerie air turned normal again. More instruments accompanied the trumpet and soon a tune was playing. Suddenly a big spot light turned on, illuminating the Genie in the middle of the room. "Mr. Roxas sir, have a wish or two or three! Now whisper what it is you want, you aint never had a friend like me," Genie sang, dancing. Then he stopped, turned off the spotlight, and let natural light back into the room.

"Um…" Roxas began, terribly confused. "What?"

Genie put his hand over his face as if he was ashamed. "Sorry, sorry. I just kinda miss singing that to people…"

"Okay?" Roxas responded, still not completely enlightened.

The Genie took his hand off of his face and gestured to a small table with chairs around it. "Take a seat and I'll explain everything."

Xion and Roxas put away their keyblades and took seats around the table. Genie pointed at the table and caused a few cakes and two cups of tea to appear. "Go on, stuff your faces!" he encouraged.

Roxas shot him a weird look but reluctantly took a bite of a cake. Xion took a sip of tea and then looked up at the Genie, waiting for him to speak.

The Genie stretched his arms and cracks his knuckles. "Now…where were we?"

"You were going to tell us why you fixed the organization," Xion reminded, bringing the cup from her lips.

"Oh right!" Genie exclaimed, putting his index finger up in the air. A lit-up light bulb appeared above his head. Suddenly the light went out it and bulb cracked and disappeared. "Hm…now why was it again?" he asked, rubbing his chin. After some more thought, he asked, "Can I just start from the beginning?"

"Yeah, starting at the end makes it too short," Roxas answered with a chuckle.

The Genie burst out in laughter. He fell to the floor, the back of his hand on his forehead and the other on his stomach. "Oh my gosh!" he guffawed. "That's hilarious! That's like something I would say!" He then floated off the floor and patted Roxas on the head. "Good job, boy, I'm proud of you."

"Um…the explanation?" Xion asked, getting somewhat impatient.

"Oh!" the Genie remembered, standing up straight. "So I guess I'll just tell you the whole story. I was in the middle of making chicken soup for Al one day when I heard a knock on my door. That darn knock scared the chickens away and they flew out of the windows! Oh, I knew I should have closed to windows! Well anyways, I opened the door and there was this strange-looking man who said, "You just won a vacation to Destiny Islands! Just give me your bank account number…" But I slammed the door in his face because I knew it was a scam."

Roxas and Xion stared up at him, blinking. "What does that have to do with anything?"

A large book appeared in Genie's hands and he began to look through it, turning pages vigorously. "Oh right, wrong story!" He slammed the book shut and it disappeared. "Carpet, can you get me the right book?" The magic carpet appeared from the shadows at the Genie's call.

"Never mind that!" Roxas exclaimed. "Can't you just tell it from memory?"

The Genie stroked his chin. At length, he spoke. "I guess…"

Carpet backed away, knowing Genie didn't need him anymore.

Genie made a large comfy recliner appear and he took a seat. After clearing his throat, he began. "So I was taking a few trips to different worlds when I stumbled on a place called Twilight Town. I was roaming through the streets, looking for something interesting to do, when I ran into three kids. They were weird kids; I could tell they had no sense of style. They asked me my name and I told them to call me "The Blue One". I told them a little about myself and then went on my way. When I was about to leave Twilight Town, they came back to me and told me there was a boy in trouble. So they led me to that place below the clock tower. And there you were, Roxas, out cold."

Roxas rubbed his head, a sudden slight remembrance of pain coming back to him.

"I took you back to Agrabah," the Genie continued. "And put you in that bed." He pointed to a small bed next to the table. "At first I couldn't decide what to do with you. I was looking through _The Genie's Book of Remedies_ when I heard you groaning. You were saying "Xion…Xion…" I was confused so I decided to try to get some information out of you. I asked, "Who?" and you replied "Xion…my…best…friend…" You were silent for a while and when you exclaimed, "No! I won't go back without her!" And then you fell silent again. For the next few days I kept you alive with chicken soup, still wondering what I should do with you. That's when I ran into a weird dude with a mullet and a sitar."

"Demyx!" Xion and Roxas exclaimed in unison. As they listened, it seemed to tie in more and more with the strange dreams they had and the information Larxene had gathered.

"Yeah," Genie responded. "I made him vow not to tell the leader of your organization that he told me about. I didn't want you to get into trouble. But he was a blabber mouth I guess, because a couple days later Xemnas came. He knocked on my door wildly and demanded to see his missing member."

"My dream…" Roxas realized.

Xion turned to Roxas, confused. "Huh?"

Number XIII stared off into space as he spoke. "The dream I had last night…I guess it was about this…"

"Strange," the Genie shrugged, eager to get on with his story. "So Xemnas insisted that I let you go so he could take you back to the organization. But I told him you wouldn't go without Xion. He said you two couldn't coexist, that's why Xion died. But then I told him I could make it possible. Even though it was against my Genie rule book, I wanted to try. He told me that since Organization XIII had lost more than half of its members, he was starting to doubt he'd ever be able to complete Kingdom Hearts. So I told him I could try to bring all this fallen Organization members back. After a long discussion of the possible side effects, he agreed. But he told me not to tell a soul. He thought it would mess something up I guess. It took about a day of magic, but I set things so that Xion, Marluxia, Vexen, Larxene, Lexaeus, and Zexion were alive again and that you, Roxas, were back in the organization."

Roxas and Xion just sat there in silence for a moment. They had waited so long for an explanation, and now most of it was making sense. They felt as if a heavy burden was being lifted off their shoulders. Smiles started to creep upon their faces. That is, until Genie spoke.

"But there was one problem," he said in a solemn voice.

Xion and Roxas' expression grew worried. "What?" number XIV asked anxiously.

Genie hung his head. "I couldn't keep the memories away from you. I knew you'd find out sooner or later. Roxas remembered that you died, Xion, and then you started to remember things yourself. Before I knew it, all the fallen members started to remember their deaths."

Roxas blinked. "Wait what?" he inquired, perplexed.

"Xemnas visited me recently," Genie explained. "Telling me that he had noticed his members remembering. That's when I realized my spell hadn't worked perfectly. One day all of you will know of what has happened. Of course he wasn't happy about that when I told him. He was afraid that if they knew, he'd lose them. That's why you kept getting headaches when you started to remember things. He was trying to keep you from remembering. He was afraid you'd leave…"

Roxas shook his head. "See, that's something I don't understand at all. **I have my Xion back.** I wouldn't leave!" He wrapped Xion in his embrace. "This girl is all that matters to me! And as long as she's here, I'm staying!"

Genie shrugged his large blue shoulders. "I guess he just doesn't understand you."

There was a long stretch of silence as they each pondered things. Roxas and Xion were remembering the dreams they had had and wondering if the information Genie had given them was enough. Genie was trying to calculate if the remembering would affect anything. Roxas finally came up with a question for Genie, breaking the silence.

"Will we keep remembering things?" The Key of Destiny asked.

"Most likely," the Genie answered.

"Genie?" Xion spoke up. "How come we're not getting headaches right now?"

Genie thought for a moment, once again rubbing his chin. "Could be Xemnas' night off."

"It's not night," Roxas pointed out, gesturing to the light outside the window.

"Whatever!" he exclaimed. "Anymore questions?"

"Well…" Xion began softly. "What do we do now?"

Suddenly a party-hat appeared on Genie's head and he blew a noise maker. "Enjoy life! Enjoy each other!" His party favors then disappeared and he wiped a tear from his eye. "And don't forget old Genie…"

"…You mean it's that simple? I've got my Xion back for good?" Roxas asked, shocked. It was all too good to be true, to say the least.

"Yes-sir-y-bob!" Genie answered with enthusiasm. "I know I have marvelous powers." He turned buff and flexed his muscles. Then he turned back to normal and said, "Just don't forget to invite me to the wedding!"

Roxas tilted his head. "The what?"

Genie's jaw dropped open. "Wow…you really don't know anything. Forget it."

Roxas shot him a puzzled expression and just shrugged. "Are you sure I don't need to pay you anything for fixing my life?"

"Your recognition is enough," the Genie answered, taking a bow. Suddenly he was interrupted by embraces from both Roxas and Xion.

"Thank you so much!" Roxas exclaimed, tears of joy staining his cheeks. "You don't know how much this means to me! Xion is my life! I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't intervened."

Xion squeezed Genie tightly. "I'm overflowing with gratitude…I really don't know what to say…"

"How's about 'Genie, you're the greatest'?" Genie asked, hopeful.

Xion giggled and then she and Roxas said in unison, "Genie! You're the greatest!"

Genie's face turned pink. "I know, I know," he said, patting them on the head. They then released him and took a step back. "Now I have a few instructions for you before you go. Number one, stay away from Xemnas. Number two, tell as little people as possible. Number three, call me if there are any problems. My digits are 113-RUB-LAMP. But make sure to put a 1 before it since it's long distance."

The two Nobodies saluted. "Will do, sir," Roxas responded. The two then headed for the door.

"Enjoy!" Genie called out, waving goodbye. As soon as the door shut, he raced to the window to spy on them. They were engaged in a lip-lock in the middle of the deserted street. "Aww, how cute," Genie commented. He suddenly pulled a camera and snapped a picture.

Roxas noticed the flash and quickly separated from Xion. "Hey!" he laughed. "You're just like Xigbar!" He then led a giggling Xion towards the dark corridor. "C'mon, Xi, let's go home."

"I'm so happy everything is cleared up," Xion purred, holding onto his coat. "No more worries."

All the excitement had made them forget about the boiling Agrabah sun and the blistering sand. But it also had made them forget about their mission. "Wait!" Roxas exclaimed. "The Luna Bandits!"

Xion frowned. "Oh right…our mission," she said, disappointment in her voice.

Roxas took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Don't worry, we'll be done in no time," he assured her. "Let's go!"

So the two sprinted across the desert, hand in hand.


	47. The Burden is Lifted

Chapter 47 – The Burden is Lifted

After Roxas and Xion were finished with their mission, they headed straight for the clock tower. No one was present when they arrived, so they took seats and began licking their ice creams. They felt alive and free, now knowing what had happened to the organization, but they were a bit worried.

"Roxas…" Xion began. Roxas looked up from his ice cream to give Xion his full attention. "How do you think Axel and Larxene will take this?"

Roxas shrugged, looking back down at his treat. "I don't know. Axel pretty much knew about the problem, and Larxene knew something was wrong. But I don't think she knew about more than half of the organization dying, including herself."

Number XIV nodded. "Yeah. I hope she isn't too confused. It took me a while to get used to the fact that I had died before."

"Hey you two," came a voice, interrupting their conversation. They recognized the voice so there was no need to turn around. Axel came up and took a seat next to Roxas, followed by Larxene who sat down next to Axel. "How was your mission in Agrabah? Find out any news?"

Roxas let out a sigh before replying. "Yeah…We found out everything…"

Axel raised an eyebrow, noticing Roxas' a littleless than enthusiastic tone. "You don't seem very excited about it. Was it bad news?"

"No," Xion responded, looking up at Axel. "We're just afraid of how you'll take it."

Larxene leaned forward and looked over at Xion. "I'm still not fully sure what has even happened. No one has explained it to me," she told her, sounding irritated.

Xion opened her mouth to speak but shut it when Roxas put his large hand over her hands. "I'll explain everything," number XIII said. "Since I think I'm the one who knows the most."

"Okay…" Larxene said, confused. "Proceed."

Roxas waited until Axel and Xion had nodded in approval before beginning the tale. "We all know Xion's a replica of me created from Sora's leaked memories, right?" His friends nodded. "Well in the past, she sacrificed herself so that Sora would be able to wake up. She…died. Before she died, she asked me to free Kingdom Hearts. So I headed for the World That Never Was, hoping to save her. But Riku stopped me there, fought me, and took me out. The next thing I knew, I was in Twilight Town. I was so confused…I went up to the clock tower. Now I don't remember anything else from here, but the Genie explained it all to me. I fell off the clock tower and Hayner, Pence, and Olette found me. They ran into Genie so he took me off their hands and brought me to Agrabah. I would talk in my sleep, mostly crying Xion's name. A few days later, Xemnas appeared, demanding me back. But Genie told him I wouldn't go back without Xion. The Genie said there was a way to bring Xion and the other lost members back to life. So he did. But his spell thing didn't work perfectly because we're able to remember parts of how it used to be. Also, I think he fixed the thing with Sora, since Namine once told me Xion wouldn't have to sacrifice herself."

"Wow…" Larxene and Axel said in unison. They spent a few minutes thinking, letting the information soak in, when suddenly number XII realized something.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "You mentioned 'other lost members'! Who are they?"

Roxas sighed. Explaining everything was going to be complicated, especially since he didn't know exactly what went on. "I don't know everything," he began. "But I do remember you, Axel, Lexaeus, Zexion, Vexen, and Marluxia going to Castle Oblivion. About a week later, only Axel came back. I don't know how the rest of you guys died…but you did."

Larxene froze. The other three Nobodies examined her very perplexed face, waiting for her to say something. "I…died?" she breathed at last.

"Yeah," Axel responded, placing his hand over Larxene's hand. "But according to Roxas, the Genie brought everyone back to life." He paused, but Larxene said nothing. "We should all be really grateful to the blue Genie in Agrabah. He gave us our lives back…"

"I…died," Larxene repeated, still dazed. "So that's why I heard a voice in my head that sounded like me…dying."

"Yes," Roxas confirmed with a nod. "You died somehow and somewhere in Castle Oblivion." He then looked up at Axel. "Axel, do you know?"

Axel rubbed his head, trying to recall. "No…" he answered. "I don't remember much of Castle Oblivion, actually."

"Strange," Xion observed. "But according to the Genie, we'll probably get all our memories back eventually. If Xemnas doesn't try to stop it."

The mention of Xemnas caused both Axel and Larxene to grow in confusion. "Xemnas?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to explain that," Roxas realized. "Remember those headaches we got every time we remembered something in the past? Well those were caused by Xemnas. He didn't want us to remember what had happened, in fear that we'd want to leave the organization."

Axel rubbed his forehead, staring out into the distance. "Well I'm glad that's finally explained. I wasn't too fond of watching people get random headaches all the time."

Larxene touched her forehead and realized something. "Wait, how come we aren't getting headaches now?"

"I don't know…" Roxas responded. "Even the Genie didn't know that."

All fell silent as thoughts swirled through their minds. They all tried to remember missing parts of their past. Larxene and Axel were just trying to swallow all the information Roxas and Xion had gathered. Once in a while they took a lick of their ice creams, but most of their time was spent thinking.

After what seemed like ages, Xion was the one to break the silence. "So…we're free from all worry? The Genie said we should just enjoy life. Should we?"

"Well," Axel began, turning his attention to Xion. "We pretty much have everything about this situation sorted out. When another problem arises, we'll deal with it. But right now I guess we can just kick back and have some fun."

Smiles spread across Roxas and Xion's faces. "Okay!" they agreed happily, almost bouncing in their seats.

Axel turned to Larxene who was still staring into space. "Larx? You okay? Do you agree?" Larxene made no response, so he started to reach his hand forward.

"Back off, you perv!" Larxene exclaimed suddenly, slapping him in the face with her half-melted ice cream. Roxas and Xion burst out laughing.

"Hey!" Axel protested, struggling to wipe the sticky goop off his face. Then he too burst out laughing. "Good to have you back, Larxene!"

* * *

"Start closing up, Harvey," the man coming out of the backroom instructed. The sun had almost set completely in Twilight Town, and the Twilight Rest Inn was closing up for the night.

The man behind the front desk, Harvey, obeyed the manager. "Yes, Mr. Wild." He walked out from behind the desk and towards the door. Just when he was about to flip the 'open' sign, the door burst open. Harvey and Mr. Wild froze.

A black cloaked figure entered the room, closing the door behind him. "A single room please," he spoke, his voice low.

Something about the stranger's aura cast fear into the men's hearts. "W-we were j-just about t-to close," Harvey stuttered, his knees knocking.

"I don't have time for chit-chat," the figure said coldly.

Mr. Wild scurried over to behind the desk and took out a key for room 7. "Yes sir, you can have room 7," he said, nearly tossing the key to the stranger. He grabbed it and headed for the stairs, paying little attention to Mr. Wild as he told him he'd give him the bill in the morning.

"Tomorrow is another day…I will find her."


	48. Two Nobodies, One Pan

Chapter 48 – Two Nobodies, One Pan

The first sense that came back to Xion when she awoke the next morning was touch. She felt her Roxas plushie close to her chest as she hugged it tightly. She didn't remember exactly how she even obtained a plushie of her dearest friend; she just remembered that it was always with her when she slept.

"Roxas…" she mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She hugged the plushie tighter. Since she usually couldn't snuggle up with Roxas, she would take her affection out on her plushie. It had been kissed so many times…

"RISE AND SHINE SLEEYHEAD!" a loud voice boomed, startling Xion. She sat up half way to find that Axel had charged in, without even knocking.

"Meep!" Xion exclaimed, pulling her blanket over her head. She wasn't wearing anything embarrassing, just a nightgown, but she still didn't like Axel to see her in it. Though she didn't seem to mind if Roxas did.

Axel chuckled and stepped closer. "Wow, Xion, you don't need to freak out. It's just me."

"Oh," Xion said, relaxing a bit. She removed the blanket from her head and leaned back against the headboard. "So, what are you here for?"

"It's time to get up!" Axel responded with a chuckle.

Xion looked over at her bedside clock and noticed that it was only seven o'clock – she usually got up at eight. "This early?" She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she waited for him to reply.

"Yep!" number VIII responded, leaning his elbow against the door frame. "Xemnas wants you and Roxas to do a little extra duty."

Xion sat up completely, her plushie falling to the floor because of the sudden movement. "What? Why?" she demanded. Xion could be a little cranky in the morning, especially when she didn't get enough time to day dream about Roxas after she had awoken.

"Hey, you want to stay together with Roxas, right?" Axel asked in a lazy sort of fashion.

Number XIV nodded and then realized what the pyro had meant. Xemnas was probably giving them extra duty because he was allowing their "ridiculous" relationship to continue. She figured Axel and Larxene would get extra duty some time too. "All right, I'll get up," she sighed.

A smile appeared on Axel's face. "Hey, that was pretty easy! Now for the real challenge – Roxas."

Xion giggled. "Aw, he's not that difficult!"

Axel smirked. "Yeah, for you maybe. But I'm not gonna kiss him or anything." He made a disgusted expression.

Xion let out a laugh. "Good. Okay, I'll meet you all at the breakfast hall," she told him.

Axel nodded in agreement. "Okay, later." He gave her a little two-finger salute and then left.

* * *

About half an hour later, Xion, Axel, and Roxas met in the breakfast hall.

Xion noticed how sleepy Roxas looked as he dragged himself in. "Morning, sleepyhead!" she greeted cheerfully, taking one of his hands in hers. His eyes opened wider at the sound of her voice. Axel noticed this and held in a chuckle.

"Morning, Xion," Roxas responded with a peaceful smile. "You're looking great…"

Xion's grin widened. "Aw, thank you, you are too!" she replied.

Roxas was about to give Xion another compliment but Axel butted in. "Okay, you two, enough flirting," he said teasingly, taking each by the hand. "Marluxia wants to tell you the rules of the kitchen before his spa date."

As he pushed them towards the kitchen, Roxas looked up and asked, "Marluxia goes to a spa?" The tone of his voice had shock and disgust mixed together.

Axel chuckled. "Nah, I'm just poking fun," he answered. He then patted them on the back to make them go faster.

"Hey, don't be so hard on Xion! She's little!" Roxas complained. Axel wasn't really harsh at all, but the fact that Roxas was a bit over protective caused the boy to worry.

Axel stopped and looked down at Xion. "Yeah, she is pretty little," he teased.

"Hey!" Xion protested with a laugh. "I'm not little! I'm just about the same size as you, Roxas!"

"Nuh-uh!" Roxas responded humorously, sticking out his tongue. "You're microscopic!"

Xion couldn't help but blush. "I am not!"

Roxas continued the teasing. "Are too!"

"No!" Xion protested, though she was laughing.

"Yeah!" Roxas insisted, a large smile on his face. "Microscopic Xion!"

Xion was about to respond when Axel ruffled both her and Roxas' hair. "That's enough, you two," he said, more playful than strict. The two snickered and continued their way towards the kitchen. When Axel was sure that's where they were going, he walked back to the tables and took a seat.

The kitchen was a rather large room, when you looked past the fact that Marluxia's pancake flour occupied many corners. Surprisingly, it wasn't as pink as the two had expected. They knew Marluxia liked to bring pink wherever he went, but the only pink things the two could find was an apron and oven mitts.

Roxas and Xion looked around the nicely-sized room, confused. "Where do we begin?" Xion asked, her eyes scanning the scenery.

"I dunno…" Roxas answered, somewhat dazed. The kitchen looked so large and complicated to him, being the small Nobody he was. Suddenly a piece of paper tacked to the fridge caught his eye. He headed over to the fridge and read the contents of the note aloud. "Number XIII and XIV, here are your instructions. There is a menu on the counter next to the stove. Choose three items from that menu and prepare them so that they are decent. Here are some items you may need: aprons, mitts, pans, and utensils. The pans are in cupboards under the oven. And the utensils are in a drawer under the stove. If you foul anything up, you will be held fully responsible and will be disciplined accordingly. Understand?" When Roxas was finished reading it, he shrugged his shoulders and started across the kitchen. "Doesn't seem too hard."

Xion followed him, her expression nervous. "But Roxas, if we mess anything up we'll be punished…" she said, worried.

Roxas stopped and looked at his best friend, noticing her fear. "All right, Xi, don't worry. We'll be careful." He assured her, smiling.

Xion nodded and managed a smile of her own. "Okay, let's check this menu."

The two picked up the menu from the counter and skimmed through it. At length, Roxas spoke. "Okay, Xi, you chose the first dish."

Xion looked at the menu carefully, pondering her decision. "Um…how's about…scrambled eggs?"

"Perfect," Roxas responded. "And bacon goes great with eggs, so that's my choice. You get the last one."

Number XIV looked back down at the menu. "Hmm…toast?" she suggested.

Roxas put and hand on the menu, gazing into her eyes. "Great choice," he told her sincerely. He let out a chuckled when he noticed her face turning red. "Silly Xion, you blush at everything," he teased.

"L-let's get to work," Xion said, changing the subject. Roxas always loved embarrassing her, and his plans always worked.

"Okay," Roxas agreed, letting her off the hook. He then thought back, remembering what the note on the fridge had said. "Strange, the only thing he didn't mention was where to get the food…"

"Check the fridge, silly!" Xion suggested with a laugh.

Roxas hit his forehead in realization. "Okay Xi, read off all the ingredients," he said, opening the fridge door.

"Well what we're making is simple," Xion pointed out. "Here are the things we need from the fridge: a carton and a half of eggs, butter, and as much bacon as we have."

Roxas nodded and started shoveling through the food in the fridge. Once he had gotten everything, he carefully made his way to the counter and set the ingredients down. "Okay, what else do we need?"

Xion looked at the menu, trying to recall what else they needed. "A few loaves of bread, and some table salt."

After all the ingredients were accounted for, the next task was to gather the pans and utensils.

"I'll start toasting the bread while you find the pans," Xion said. She headed over to the toasters with the loaves of bread in hand. All together there were four toasters, two slots each. It would still take a while to make all the toast, however. So she got to work.

After about three minutes of silence, Roxas spoke. "Uh, Xion, we have a problem…"

Xion flung around to look at Roxas, the toast almost flying out of her hand. "What?" she asked urgently.

Roxas had a remorseful expression as he took out one and only one frying pan from the cupboards. "There's only one pan left…"

Xion left the toasters and joined Roxas at the cupboards. "Oh no! What should we do?"

Roxas shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to make the bacon and eggs on the same pan."

"Couldn't we just ask Marluxia if there are any other pans?" Xion suggested.

Roxas shook his head. "Marluxia isn't here, and his note mentioned nothing about an alternative. We'll just have to use one pan."

Xion reluctantly nodded and went back to the toasters, just as her first batched popped out. After she put the next batch and started up the toasters, she turned her attention back to Roxas. He was placing the pan on the range. "Are we going to take turns or what?" she asked.

Roxas turned to face her. "Nah, we don't have time for that. Come here, get your eggs started, and when your toast pops you can attend to it."

So Xion obeyed and joined Roxas in front of the counter. She didn't know exactly what to do, so she just cracked all eighteen eggs in a big bowl and mixed it with a fork. Roxas was already laying strips of bacon on the pan when Xion came to him with her bowl of egg yolks and whites. Before Roxas could say anything to stop her, she spilled out the whole bowl onto the pan. The egg liquid caused an incredibly loud sizzle and covered up the bacon.

"Xion!" Roxas exclaimed in shock, looking at the pan.

Xion gave him an innocently confused look, wondering what she had done wrong. "What?"

Roxas sighed and slapped his forehead. "Xion, bacon and eggs goop isn't on the menu. If the other members don't like this, we're toast!"

Suddenly the toast from the toasters popped, and Xion scurried over to attend them. Once she had taken them out and placed new slices of bread in, she returned to Roxas. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know what I was doing!" she apologized, sorrow in her voice.

Roxas noticed how penitent she looked. He turned off the range and then wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to assure her everything was all right. "It's okay, Xion, I understand," he whispered, holding her close.

"Really?" Xion asked, her voice quiet and shaky.

Roxas pulled back from the hug and looked into her eyes. "Yes really. Now you go finish the toast and I'll take care of this mess."

Xion nodded and silently got back to work. She said nothing as she worked, and after a while Roxas grew concerned. "Aw, come on, Xion! Cheer up!" he urged, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "It really is funny, you know? You may have invented the next greatest breakfast food."

Xion faced number XIII. "But…we might get in trouble…" she said nervously.

"Nah, everything will be fine," Roxas assured her with a wave of his hand. "Hey, you know what I just realized?"

"What?" number XIV asked curiously.

"We forgot to put on aprons and oven mitts," Roxas explained with a little chuckle. "Oh well, we'd look like sissies with those anyways." He pointed to Marluxia's pink apron and mitts.

Xion couldn't help but let out a giggle.

* * *

"What's taking them so long?" Xigbar asked, impatiently tapping his fingers. All of the other organization members, excluding Axel and Larxene, were sitting around the large table among Xigbar in the breakfast hall. Axel and Larxene had chosen to eat at one of the smaller more secluded tables for obvious reasons.

"Those two better come soon…" Saix muttered.

Suddenly the kitchen doors swung open, and out walked Roxas and Xion. Each of the two had a covered silver platter in their hands.

"Finally!" Xigbar cried in relief, eagerly picking up his fork.

"Sorry we took so long," Roxas apologized. "But I don't think you'll be disappointed."

Xion set her tray down in the middle of the table and removed the lid. "Toast," she announced, gesturing to the many stacks of golden brown bread.

"Aaaand," Roxas began, setting his platter down next to hers. "Bacon and eggs surprise!" He lifted up the lid. As soon as the other Nobodies saw it, they crinkled their noses.

"That looks like dog barf!" Xigbar gagged.

"I am _not_ eating that," Xaldin refused.

"Yuck," Lexaeus remarked.

At their reactions, Xion grew very nervous. "R-Roxas…" she whimpered.

Suddenly Demyx spoke up. "Aw come on, guys, you can't judge a book by its cover," he said.

Zexion suddenly looked up. "Book? Did I hear someone say book?"

Demyx ignored the bibliophile and continued. "So taste it before you make any judgments."

There were a few grumbles among the group, but they agreed. "Fine…" Xigbar said, reaching for a serving spoon. He took a spoonful of the food and slapped it down on his plate. Everyone held their breaths as they watched him take a bite. Xion and Roxas were practically biting their nails, waiting for Xigbar to spit it out.

After a few moments of chewing, Xigbar swallowed. And surprisingly, he didn't look disgusted. "Hey…" he turned around to face Roxas and Xion. "Poppet and kiddo, this is actually pretty good."

Roxas and Xion's faces lit up. "Really? You mean it?" they asked in unison.

Xigbar nodded. "Yep. Everyone else should try some too."

Roxas and Xion stepped back and watched proudly as the other organization members consumed their breakfast. They were so intent on watching everyone's reactions that they forgot about eating breakfast themselves. But they were both relieved that they hadn't failed on their breakfast detail.


	49. Rec Room

Chapter 49 – Rec. Room

That afternoon, Larxene and Axel found themselves engrossed in a ping-pong game. A common spot for Nobodies to go when they were finished with their missions was the rec. room. The rec. room had many enjoyable activities to offer. Television, video games, a snack bar, a gym, an indoor pool; just to name a few. It was usually crowded around that time of day, so Nobodies' voices rung out. Sometimes Larxene hated going to the rec. room; certain Mario Kart-playing Nobodies such as Demyx and Xigbar irritated her greatly. But this particular day she had nothing better to do, and she wanted to get even at Axel for winning ping-pong the last time they had played.

"Give it up, pyro!" Larxene exclaimed, striking the ball with her paddle. "This is my game!"

"You haven't won yet, Larxene," Axel responded calmly, returning the ball. While Larxene got all worked up, Axel seemed to remain calm as the game winded down. As Larxene let out a grunt every time she hit the ball, Axel just sighed. "Can't you ever just play for fun or relaxation?"

"Nope," was her reply, her eyes not wandering from the ball for a second. She returned the ball with all her strength. Axel could have hit it if he put a lot of effort into his swing, but he was tired of the tension. So he let the ball whizz right past him, giving Larxene her winning point. "Yes!" she cheered. "Take that, loser!"

"And to think we're dating…" Axel muttered. "Okay, Larx, can we _please_ just play for fun now?"

Larxene set down her paddle on the table, a smug expression on her face. "What, tired of losing?"

"Tired of competing," number VIII answered.

Larxene trailed a finger across the table. "All right…since I totally defeated you." She picked up the paddle with a smirk.

Axel found the noncompetitive game quite relaxing, but Larxene found it rather dull. After a few long minutes of just hearing the sound of the ball being hit back and force, and the cry of Mario as he kept driving off a cliff, she started a conversation. "I think we should keep an eye on Roxas and Xion."

Axel raised an eyebrow, lazily returning the ball. "Why do you think that?" he asked.

"I was just thinking" - she paused to hit the ball – "how furious Xemnas would be if Xion was to wind up pregnant."

"Pfft, goody-two-shoes Roxas?" Axel was too busy laughing at the prospect to return the ball. After he retrieved the ball from the ground, he handed it to Larxene.

"That's what I thought at first," Larxene said. "But then I remembered – he is a boy after all. About fifteen years old, too. And you know what they say…the worst things can happen to even the best of people in the wrong situation." She grinned as she served the ball.

"You sound as if you want that to happen," Axel remarked, swinging his paddle.

"I admit it _would_ be quite humorous," replied Larxene.

"Okay, now you're sounding like Xigbar," he said, hitting the ball a little harder.

"Sadistic side showing through again, sorry," she stated, though she didn't sound sorry at all.

Axel caught the ball in his hand and put down his paddle. Then he stared into Larxene's eyes, a strict expression on his face. "Well _whatever_ you do, don't you dare harm them in any way, or mess up their relationship."

"Of course not," Larxene said, sounding more sincere. "I'm on your side. I just think the expression on Xemnas' and Saix's faces would be hilarious if that was ever to happen."

Axel nodded, relieved. "All right, just as long as you're with me on this." He tossed the ping pong ball to Larxene, a signal to her to re-serve. "But you are right. Roxas and Xion won't be allowed to sleep together anymore, no matter how innocent they seem."

"Aw, they'll be so 'heartbroken'," Larxene said in mock sympathy. "Shall I tell them or do you want to?" She served the ball.

"I see no reason in telling them now," Axel answered, hitting the ball lightly. "When the time is right. Like tonight or when we're on that topic. It would probably hurt more if we just suddenly came up to them after their mission and said "NO MORE SLEEPING TOGETHER!""

Larxene let out a laugh. "I could just see Roxas' expression if you did do that."

* * *

Roxas and Xion were the only ones in the Grey Room when they arrived back from their missions. It was much a coincidence that they happened to enter the room simultaneously through different dark corridors. A coincidence that they very much enjoyed.

"Oh, hi, Roxas!" Xion greeted, closing the gap between them. "Just finished your mission?"

"Yep," Roxas replied, taking the girl in his arms. "And I see you have too."

Xion embraced him for a moment silently before she spoke. "How was your mission?" she inquired.

Roxas shrugged as he gently pulled back from her. "I thought it would be easy. Usually those purple orb thing missions are easy. But noooo, they had to be way up high on the tallest buildings. I can't fly, Xemnas!"

Xion let out a giggle. "That's too bad."

It was silent for a while; the two just stared into each other's eyes. No one said anything, for they did not know what to say. So they just stared. Roxas enjoyed looking into Xion's eyes; bright blue, shining, and oh so beautiful. And Xion felt the same way about Roxas. After it had been silent for too long, Roxas spoke.

"So…what do you wanna do?" he asked.

Xion thought for a moment and then replied. "I don't know, what do you wanna do?"

Roxas chuckled. "I have a feeling we're going to spend all our free time asking that back and force. How's about we go to the rec. room? It's pretty fun."

"Okay!" Xion agreed, excitement in her eyes.

As they made their way towards the rec. room, they discussed the possibilities of their leisure. "We could play some two-player video game. Like Mario Kart, Wii Music, Super Smash Bros Brawl," Xion suggested.

"Yeah, or we could do something physical," Roxas said. Suddenly they both stopped. From the influences of others, they realized how wrong that sounded.

"Uh…" Xion said nervously. Her face was red, as was Roxas'.

"I mean like a sport!" he exclaimed. "Ping pong, basketball, darts, something like that!"

"Oh, yeah," Xion responded, nodding quickly.

When they arrived at the rec. room, it seemed as if the noise level was at its peak. Practically the whole organization was there. Axel and Larxene were at the ping pong table, Demyx and Xigbar were playing video games on one of the televisions, and Vexen was swimming in the indoor pool. Saix and Xemnas were sitting at one of the tables, discussing something dead-serious over cups of hot chocolate. Luxord was playing cards with Xaldin and Lexaeus, and Zexion was sitting in the corner reading. And finally, Marluxia was playing chess with himself.

After a couple moments of looking around, Axel and Larxene noticed the two young Nobodies and beckoned them to join them.

"Hey you two, what's up?" Axel asked, twirling his paddle.

"Just looking for something to do," Roxas replied. Xion nodded in agreement.

"Well how's about you two play ping pong?" Larxene suggested. "Axel and I just finished." She handed Xion her paddle. Axel got the message after Larx had sent him a few glares, and handed his paddle over to Roxas.

Roxas looked over at Xion with a smile. "Do you want to, Xi?" he asked.

Xion grinned. "Sure," she replied happily. So they started to play; no completion, no stress, no tension. Axel admired them for a short while before Larxene dragged him off to play some video game where you torture people.

Roxas and Xion's presence did not go unnoticed by all the other members. Grumpy Saix had a tendency to notice when people he did not like appeared.

"There's the puppet," Saix muttered in disgust, putting down his mug. "And her 'bodyguard.' It's so disgusting…"

"Yes, so you've mentioned numerable times," Xemnas spoke.

Saix took up a spoon from the table and began to stir his hot chocolate. "What is their performance record?" he inquired. He was hoping it would be unsatisfactory.

"Same as usual," number I answered. He did not seem to care about Saix's disappointed expression as he picked up his mug and took another sip of his drink.

"What about-"

"And so are Larxene's and Axel's."

Saix grunted and slumped back in his chair.

"Everything in the organization is finely tuned, to my best knowledge," Xemnas stated. With that, he stood up and walked away. But as he walked, he mumbled something to himself. "Now if only I could find a way to keep them from remembering everything…"


	50. Snow Day

Chapter 50 – Snow Day

It was the next morning; 7:30 to be exact. Roxas slowly woke up, his nose switching slightly. Suddenly he felt extremely cold, and hurried to get more blankets over himself. "Why is it so cold?" he muttered groggily, pulling a warm checkered quilt over his head. "Tonight I'm wearing a shirt to bed." He hugged his bare upper body tightly, trying to conserve heat. As he tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, his quilt slid off his head. Before he could replace it, something caught his eye. His window was so fogged up that it looked like a bathroom window. Roxas slowly got up out of his bed, wrapped his quilt around him, and went to the window to investigate. "I don't remember the windows ever being this fogged up…"

When he got close enough to the window he took the palm of his hand and rubbed off some of the condensation. The cold wetness stung against his sleepy skin and sent shivers throughout his whole body. But the chill was soon forgotten. His pupils expanded greatly in surprise when he noticed something on the outside window sill. It was like white power, packed tightly together. He yearned to get a closer look, so he pressed his face against the window. The icy feeling woke him up completely. "What…is that?" he muttered in awe. He pulled his face away from the glass, leaving imprints from his nose and forehead. "I hope _I_ didn't do that…"

Before Roxas could gather any more of his thoughts together, the door opened. Xion, clothed with many blankets, entered his room before shutting the door. She joined him by the window before speaking. "Roxas, there's something wrong with the outside of the castle! Everything is white!"

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Roxas exclaimed nervously.

Xion just gave him a confused look. "Huh?"

"Never mind," Roxas replied. "…Wait…the whole outside is white? I only noticed white stuff on the window sill."

Xion nodded quickly. "Yes…what if The World That Never Was is dying?" Both her face and Roxas' faces were stricken with worry.

Roxas pulled his quilt tighter around himself so Xion wouldn't see his 'pajamas.' "I wonder if any of the other members know about this…or are even awake!"

Xion looked at the window for a moment longer and then back at Roxas. "We should tell Axel."

Number XIII nodded in agreement. "Yes. But first…" Another shiver was sent through his body. "Let's get dressed warmly. The castle is _freezing_!"

"Do you think this cold has to do with the white stuff outside?" Xion inquired.

Roxas looked out his window again, straining his eyes to see the landscape. "Maybe…maybe we're all going to freeze to death!"

* * *

Axel tossed and turned in his bed, in the middle of a very interesting dream. "Mph…" he mumbled. "Larxene…" Due to his excessive moving, his sheets and blankets were crumpled up at his feet, moving inches closer to the ground every time he moved. He was too captivated in his dream to even notice the chilly temperature.

Suddenly the door burst open and two young nobodies raced in. "Axel!" Roxas and Xion exclaimed in unison. They practically pounced on top of number VIII, determined to awaken him. Their plan succeeded, to say the least.

Axel shouted and sat up in surprise, nearly knocking his two friends off of him. "What, what? What is it?" he asked through heavy breathing.

"The world is freezing up!" Roxas exclaimed.

"We're all gonna die!" Xion wailed.

Axel just blinked his eyes, not even completely awake. All he noticed was Roxas and Xion's anxious expressions. Then he noticed they were practically on top of him. "Okay, first…" he began calmly. "You two, give me some personal space! I can't think clearly with you breathing down my neck!"

"Oh, sorry," Roxas apologized, slightly embarrassed. He and Xion crawled off his bed and stood before him.

"And next…" Axel continued leisurely. "I also can't think clearly without my morning coffee." He turned himself around, stepped into his slippers, and started to walk toward his mini kitchenette.

"Axel, there's no time!" Roxas protested. He and Xion followed the pyro closely.

"Yeah! We might freeze to death any moment!" Xion added. She shivered and rubbed her hands together. She and Roxas were both dressed in their usual organization coats because they didn't have anything warmer to wear.

Axel put down his coffee pot and looked his friends in the eye. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Look outside…" Roxas replied in a gloomy voice.

Axel, quite curious now, approached his window and look outside. "Hey look! Snow!" he exclaimed with excitement.

Roxas and Xion were shocked that Axel's tone was so cheery. "Why do you sound so happy? The world is freezing up!" Xion exclaimed.

Axel suddenly started to burst out in laughter, which confused the younger Nobodies even more. "Ahaha!"

"Wh-why are you laughing?" Roxas asked, perplexed.

"What's so funny?" Xion voiced.

Axel tried to calm down his laughter. Once it lessened to just a low roar, he tried to explain. "You two!"

Roxas stepped forward, totally confused and determined to get answers. "What? Why are we funny?"

The Flurry of Dancing Flames stopped his laughter. "You guys," he began, a big smile on his face. "Haven't you ever seen snow before?" After the two shook their heads, he continued to explain. "Usually when the weather gets cold enough, snow appears. Unless Vexen was playing around with his magic too much, but I don't think that's the case. It looks like the snows goes on for miles, and Vexen isn't capable of covering that much ground in one night."

A moment of silence followed. Xion and Roxas let his words sink in, trying to comprehend them. "So…" Xion began. "The world isn't freezing up?"

Axel chuckled. "No. And we're not going to die either." He ruffled Xion's hair with a smirk.

There was another stretch of silence. After a few minutes, Roxas broke it. "…Oh. I feel stupid." He rubbed the back of his head.

"So do I," Xion said. "I'm sorry for waking you up, Axel…"

"Naw, it's fine," Axel replied, walking them towards the door. "Gave me a good laugh." He opened the door and was about to say goodbye when Saix's voice came booming through the hallways.

"All members report to the Grey Room. All members report to the Grey Room." Then there was a loud beep, and then silence.

"What the…?" Axel stepped out into the hallway and looked around, but Saix was nowhere to be seen. Then he noticed a little device placed where the wall met the ceiling. "Ahh," he realized. "I didn't know we had intercoms. Must have been installed recently." He then turned back to his friends. "You two go on ahead to the Grey Room, I'll catch up with you soon."

Once Xion and Roxas agreed, Axel went back into his room and shut the door.

* * *

Xion and Roxas found the Grey Room quite noisy and crowded when they entered. Saix was standing at the head of the room, calm as usual. All the other members were gathered around Vexen, yelling and shaking their fists.

"For the last time!" Vexen cried, straining to make his voice heard over the noise. "I have nothing to do with today's weather! Stop blaming me or I'll turn you all into Nobodysicles!"

As Number XIII and XIV watched the ruckus, Axel came in behind them. "Heh, what's going on?" he asked after seeing an angry mob around the organization's scientist.

"They're blaming Vexen for the..." Roxas tried to recall the word Axel had used. "…snow."

Suddenly Saix's voice interrupted the commotion, and everyone grew silent. He cleared his voice before speaking. "Snow has covered all eight worlds we have missions in, and all the heartless have been buried in snow. Therefore, the superior has given you (slackers) a day off."

Saix could barely finish his sentence before the Nobodies started cheering. "Yay! Free day!" Demyx exclaimed. "Thanks for the snow Vexen!"

"But I didn't-" But Vexen stopped his sentence when he realized how many praises he was getting from the other members. _"Maybe they'll start a fan club for me…"_ he thought with a smile.

Clipboard in hand, Saix opened up the dark corridor and prepared to leave. He observed the other members for a moment in disgust. "They all look so happy…but that's impossible. They can't feel emotion. Number XIV has surely poisoned their minds…" _"Something must be done."_

_

* * *

_

Xion and Roxas were walking down a hallway, wondering what to do with their free day. They were currently heading towards the rec. room, hoping to kill a few hours with Mario Kart. Just then, Axel joined them.

"Hey you two, what's up?" he asked perkily, putting his hands on their shoulders.

Roxas looked up at Axel. "We're going to play some video games I guess."

Axel stopped walking, so they halted as well. "Aw, c'mon you guys," the redhead said, patting their shoulders. "That's no fun on a day like this. You should go out and play in the snow!"

"…Is that…safe?" Xion asked cautiously.

"Of course it is!" Axel laughed.

"But it's sooo cold," Roxas complained. "I'm freezing indoors, and me and Xion don't have any warmer clothes."

"Hm," Axel murmured, placing a hand on his hips. The hallway was silent for a moment as he thought. All that could be heard was the distance echo of footsteps. Suddenly Axel snapped his fingers, breaking the silence. "I know! You two stay here, I'll be right back!" Roxas tried to get a word in, but by the time he opened his mouth, Axel had already opened the dark corridor and vanished.

The pyro headed over to the clothing store in Twilight Town. As he walked the streets, he found that Saix was right. Everything _was_ covered in snow, and there were no heartless in sight. Once he got into the store, he found a warm winter coat with black and white checkers that he knew Roxas would love. Then he stumbled upon a dark blue coat and seemed to scream "Xion!" He also got yellow gloves, a yellow scarf, and a black and white knit hat for Roxas. He got white gloves, a white scarf, and a white hat for Xion. While he was at it, he picked up a small bottle of French perfume for Larxene.

Once Axel had paid for everything, he met Roxas and Xion back in the hallways of The Castle That Never Was. They had been sitting on the ground and were relieved when Axel finally returned. The two were ecstatic when Axel gave them the warm clothes and thanked him heartily. As they ran back to their rooms to put the clothes on, number VIII went to his quarters to hide the perfume he would later on give to Larxene.

* * *

"Wow…it's so beautiful out here!" Xion exclaimed. She and Roxas had just left the castle, all bundled up in their new clothes. She started to walk forward, her mouth open in awe.

Roxas followed her slowly. "Yeah…to think we thought this stuff was dangerous." The next thing he knew, Xion was running around in the snow excitedly. He chuckled and started to chase her. "Come back here, Xi-Xi!"

Once Xion realized Roxas was chasing her, she let out a meep and quickened her pace. Both Nobodies started to laugh. "No! You won't catch me!" Xion shouted.

"Yes I will!" Roxas responded. In a burst of speed, he caught up with Xion. He wrapped his arms around her and dragged her down. They both landed in the snow, laughing hysterically. Roxas put his gloved hand to her cheek with a tender smile. "You're so adorable."

Xion blushed. "Thanks," she replied. "So are you."

They stayed in their tender moment, just holding onto each other, for a few more minutes…until Axel threw a snowball at Roxas' head.

"Hey!" Roxas exclaimed, sitting up. Xion sat up as well, glaring at Axel.

The pyro just laughed and started packing another snowball. The two watched curiously – that is, until Axel sent a snowball whizzing towards Xion.

"Ow!" Xion whimpered as the snowball hit her forehead. Roxas gave Xion a look of worry before getting up on his feet.

"Oh, it's on!" number XIII shouted. "No one hits my Xion and gets away with it!"

Xion smiled proudly at Roxas' boldness and stood up too. "And you're not allowed to hit Roxas, either!" Xion added, taking some snow in her hands.

And so it began. A snow war. Two against one. Number against size. Snowballs filled the air, relentlessly being thrown back and force. Most missed their targets, but some were dead-on. Nearby trees were constantly being hit, as was the west wall of the castle. It took about an hour before one side was defeated. Axel's side.

Xion and Roxas ran to Axel's side and helped him out of the snow. "I would have won…" the pyro huffed. "If I was allowed to use my fire power. I'd have melted all your snowballs before they even reached me." He brushed off some snow from his jacket.

"We would have used our keyblades to deflect your snowballs then," Roxas retorted. He then took a deep breath of the crisp fresh air, surveying the scenery. "Hey, Xion, wanna go roll around in the snow?"

Xion hugged herself and shivered. "I dunno…I'm pretty cold and wet."

Suddenly Axel spoke. "Hey, guys, I've got an idea! Stay where you are."

Roxas and Xion looked at each other in confusion as Axel took out his cell phone and started dialing.

Inside the castle, Larxene was in her private bathroom, enjoying her hot tub. The lights were dim, the air smelled of burning wood, and she was contently reading a magazine called _The Sadist Digest_. She grew very irritated when her phone started the ring, interrupting her relaxation. She picked up her phone and answered it. "What do you want?"

Axel was on the other end. "Hey, Larx, it's Axey!"

Larxene rolled her eyes. "You're interrupting my relaxation, pyro. It better be good."

"Well…" number VIII began hesitantly. "I was wondering if you could do me and 'the kids' a favor."

"Oh brother…" Larxene muttered. "The kids?"

"Roxas and Xion," Axel responded.

"Ah. And exactly _what_ is this favor you want me to do?" Larxene asked testily.

"Make three cups of hot chocolate," he replied simply.

Larxene was appalled at his request. "What? Axel, that's pretty much like asking me to make you a sammich!"

Axel shook his head rapidly, though Larxene obviously couldn't see that. "No, no, I don't want a sandwich! Just…" But Roxas interrupted.

"Sandwich? Huh? What's going on?" the boy asked, confused.

"I'll put it simply," Axel began, looking at the two Nobodies. "Xion, if Roxas ever asks you to make him a sandwich, make him the darn sandwich!" Larxene cleared her throat, which brought Axel's attention back to the phone. "So can ya, Larx?"

"Axel, I rarely _ever_ go into the kitchen," Larxene said sternly. "I stay away from it as much as possible!"

"Yeah, but could you pleeeease do it for me? Just this once?" Axel pleaded, trying to sound as nice as possible.

Larxene sighed. After giving it a moment of thought, she replied, "What's in it for me?"

Axel contemplated for a moment. "Hmmm…well if you make us three cups of hot chocolate, tomorrow I'll be your training partner. You can beat me up as much as you want!"

Larxene smiled sadistically. "Hmm…sounds…intriguing…"

"So is it a deal?" Axel asked eagerly.

"I guess," Larxene replied, sounding disinterested. "It'll be ready in about five minutes. And you _better_ keep your word." With that, she hung up.

"So what are we doing?" Xion asked eagerly as Axel put his cell phone back in his pocket.

Axel smiled. "C'mon you two, we're going inside for some niiiice hot chocolate," he said. He started to walk towards the castle entrance, and his two friends followed.

"Oh boy! Warmth!" Roxas exclaimed excitedly. Xion giggled.

"You two better enjoy this hot chocolate, I practically sold myself to get it," Axel told them.


	51. Hot Chocolate

Chapter 51 – Hot Chocolate

When Roxas, Xion, and Axel entered the warm, inviting kitchen, the scent of sweet chocolate caught their noses. They took off their snow-covered coats and set them on the floor near the door.

"Sure smells good," Axel commented cheerfully. He looked around and noticed three cups of steaming hot chocolate waiting for them on the table. Marshmallows were present in their drinks, and it looked quite ravishing after a few cold hours in the snow. But one thing was missing – Larxene. Just as Axel noticed this, the other door opened and number XII entered.

"Oh, look who the cat dragged in," Larxene said, disinterest in her voice. She took a fourth cup of hot chocolate from the counter. She placed it on the table as she took a seat.

"Where were you, Larxene?" Axel asked curiously, taking a seat next to her. Roxas and Xion also took seats.

"Oh…nowhere…" Larxene began. Then she smiled sadistically. "Just getting a few things for our training. You know, knives, whips, the usual."

Axel cringed. Roxas and Xion just looked at him in confusion. "Sounds…fun…" Axel said sarcastically.

Larxene turned her face towards the younger Nobodies. "So how was the snow? Burry any crazy pyros?" she asked, glancing at Axel.

"It was fun!" Xion answered with a smile.

"Yeah, but they thought it would kill them at first," Axel chuckled.

Roxas' face became distraught and he hit him on the arm. "No! That's not true!" the boy lied.

Axel just laughed and took a sip of his beverage. "Whatever."

The room became silent, so number XIII and XIV decided to try their hot chocolate. After taking a few sips, they realized how delicious it was, so they started to drink more enthusiastically.

Number VIII noticed this and started to chuckle. "It looks like you two really like this stuff."

Xion put her mug down. "Mhm! It's really good, Larxene!" Xion had just finished complimenting Larxene when she noticed all eyes were on her. "…What?"

"Haha, look!" Axel smirked. "Xion has a mustache!"

Xion's face immediately turned red in embarrassment when she realized she had forgotten to wipe her upper lip.

"Aww, little Xi-Xi! You look so cute!" Roxas exclaimed, a big smile on his face. But Xion just wiped her mouth quickly and hid her face in her arms. Roxas placed his hand on her shoulder. "Xion, don't be ashamed! You're cute!"

Larxene just rolled her eyes and continued drinking, pretending not to see. Axel looked at Larxene and then back at his friends. Roxas was lifting up Xion's chin, a look in his eyes that would make Saix barf.

Xion managed a smile. "I know, I'm okay," she reassured him.

"All right, little Xi, if you say so," Roxas said. He gave her a quick kiss and then got back to his hot chocolate. "Man, this stuff is good!"

Placing her elbows on the table and her head in her hands, Larxene let out a yawn. "Well this is dull. I should have brought the whips here."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be looking forward to what you've got planned for me…"

Larxene nodded with another sadistic smile. "Oh yes…very much."

There was a moment of silence before Xion spoke. "Axel, how come Larxene's so sadistic?" she asked innocently.

Axel laughed and looked over at Larxene who was making a face. "I don't know. But I think that's a part of her charm…"

Roxas shrugged. "Meh. I like my girls innocent, black haired, and named Xion." He smiled over at Xion.

"Wow, Roxas, you're such a player," Axel remarked dryly. Everyone started to laugh.

Suddenly, amidst all the laugher, Roxas exclaimed. "Shh! What was that?" Everyone grew silent and froze. They sat there a while, just listening intently. But all that could be heard was the occasional drip of the faucet.

At length, Axel spoke. "I don't hear anything," he shrugged.

Xion turned to Roxas with a worried look. "What is it? Roxas, what did you hear?"

Roxas was staring off in the distance, his ears perked up. "Wait…there it is again!"

This time everyone heard it. It sounded like a deep man's voice.

"What is that?" Xion asked, fear in her eyes.

"Meh, probably nothing," Axel shrugged, trying to stay calm. The last thing he needed was two psycho Nobodies running around in circles.

"Probably some idiot," Larxene commented. "The castle's full of them."

Roxas ignored them and got up from his chair. Xion followed him behind closely. When they got to the door Larxene had entered from, Roxas opened it a crack and peaked out. After a moment, he muttered, "There's Saix and Xemnas…they're whispering." They then left the door and retook their seats.

"See? Nothing to worry about," number VIII said. "They always whisper. Everything Xemnas does is confidential, even cleaning out ear wax."

"I…guess…" Roxas replied, trying to shake off an odd feeling he had.

Everything became quiet again because no one could think of anything else to say. They just sat and sipped their hot chocolate. Suddenly Roxas got an idea, a wide smile appearing on his face. "Xion," he said, interrupting the silence. Then he patted his lap. "Sit on my lap?" he asked. His eyes were shining in a pleading way, resembling a puppy begging for table scraps.

Xion giggled. "Okie, Roxy." She stood up and then took a seat on Roxas' lap. Roxas wrapped his arms around Xion's midsection.

"Must you two always be like this…in public?" Axel asked.

"Sitting in his lap is dangerous, Xion. I know men," Larxene told her.

"Hey!" Axel protested.

But Xion just smiled innocently at them. Then she looked up at Roxas. "I trust him."

The two sat there smiling for a moment while Axel rubbed his chin in thought. "Hm…there's something wrong with this…" He pointed at Roxas.

"You just gestured to all of me," Roxas said.

"There certainly is," Larxene interrupted. "He needs to stop watching those cheesy movies."

Roxas scowled. "Come on, Xion, let's go cuddle elsewhere," he said. He stood up, caught Xion from slipping off his lap, and picked up both of their mugs.

"Just don't get excited, Roxas!" Axel called after him as he and Xion were leaving.

Roxas turned around for a moment to say, "Ugh, you sound like Xigbar." He and his Xion then left the room.


	52. Eerie Shadow

Chapter 52 – Eerie Shadow

It was a new day in The World That Never Was; the morning of that day to be exact. Roxas and Xion were already wide awake, walking cheerfully down the halls. Their usual sleepy-head manner proved this activity quite strange, but then again, they _were_ spontaneous. Xion was practically skipping, while Roxas found it too flamboyant and Marluxia-like to skip.

As they passed by the tall, slender window in the hall, Xion paused to look out. "Wow...It's so beautiful outside," she marveled. The sun was up and shining down on the snow, causing it to glisten.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. "Too bad it isn't snowing. We'll probably have to go on missions today."

All of a sudden, the door a few yards away from the window opened, and out walked Axel. He was uncharacteristically awake too. "Morning, littles," number VIII greeted.

"Good morning," Roxas and Xion greeted in unison, bright smiles on their faces.

"Where were you all yesterday?" Axel asked curiously without further hesitation. It was true; Axel hadn't seen the two after their departure in the kitchen.

"Oh," Roxas began, trying to remember all his activities the previous day. "Well I went to the bathroom and emptied my bladder a few times…"

Axel slapped his forehead. "I'm not talking about the little grotesque details. What did you do with Xion?"

"Oh. Well…" Roxas began, wracking his brain. "First we sat on a couch in the lounge – the Grey Room was too crowded – and we cuddled for a bit. Then we started to get hungry so we went to The Twilight Town Diner. After we returned, we played some video games in the rec. room and watched a movie. Then it was dinner so we ordered some food from the catering Moogle and had it sent to my room. The food was really good, _way_ better than Marluxia's cooking. After that we fell asleep on my bed." He ended his story with a big smile.

Axel looked over at Xion to confirm this, and she nodded. "His bed is so soft!" she gushed. "He has this black and white checkered quilt that is so warm! I could just cuddle with-" But Axel cut her short.

Number VIII put his hand on top of her head and started to slowly spin her around, examining her neck closely. Roxas, and most certainly Xion, were confused by what he was doing. "What…are you doing? Xion asked apprehensively.

"Looking for bite marks," Axel replied quickly, his concentration focused on her neck. At length, he stopped spinning her and took his hand off her head. "You're clear." The two young Nobodies looked at one another in confusion, not understanding at all what Axel was talking about. "I don't think it's the best idea to sleep together," the pyro said, shaking his head. "Larxene and I agreed that we shouldn't allow you to sleep together anymore."

Roxas and Xion's expressions turned distressed. "Why not?" Roxas asked, his voicing turning slightly whiny.

"Something might happen," Axel shrugged. "And none of us want a pregnant Xion on our hands."

Xion's eyes grew wide. "Pregnant…?"

"How could I get her pregnant?" Roxas barked. "I don't even know how!"

Axel sighed. He had riled up Roxas, and the boy didn't understand that Axel's boundaries were for his own good. "Strange things can happen when temptation is put in your path. Yes, you're a Nobody, and you supposedly don't have a heart. And you don't even know the facts of life. But you're still a teenage boy. I was a teenager once…" Axel scratched the back of his head, remembering his days as Lea. "I was very…hormonal. Trust me Roxas, if things start getting out of hand, you won't even know what you're doing, but you'll be doing it."

Roxas sighed, defeated. He knew by the tone of Axel's voice that he was serious. "But…Xion's so soft…"

Axel smiled. "Hey, I never said you two couldn't cuddle. On the couch. Sitting up. With people in room."

Roxas looked over at Xion who just nodded glumly. "O-okay…" he finally agreed with a sigh.

"You'll thank me one day, believe me," said Axel. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, I think you two should hurry up and report to the Grey Room. We're having missions today, and X-face is usually grumpy after wasting a day off on stupid things like clipping claws – I mean toe nails."

Roxas and Xion managed smiles and started on their way.

After the two young Nobodies arrived in the Grey Room, their mission papers were practically thrown at them by a very grumpy Saix. They were thrilled to see that they both had the same mission – exterminate all the Heartless in Twilight Town. They rapidly packed up their gear and put their snow coats on before taking leave.

In the corner of the Grey Room was Marluxia, lying miserably on the couch. He kept mumbling and grumbling to himself. Obviously something was bothering him, and Demyx noticed this.

"Hey, MarMar," number IX greeted cheerfully. Marluxia groaned at his presence. "You don't exactly look chipper, Marly. What's wrong?"

Marluxia sighed. "I…"

Demyx watched and listened eagerly, waiting for Marluxia to continue.

"Yesterday…" number XI began. "I saw something I didn't want to see."

Demyx gasped. "Oh no! You scarred your brain? I told you to stay off rule 34!"

Marluxia sat up in an instant and grunted. "I didn't go there! It's something I saw here in the castle…"

"Oh," Demyx said. "Well why don't you tell me about it? Xigbar the Awesome has influenced me a lot in psychiatry. He helped me with my waterproof bike problem!"

Marluxia let out another sigh before finally agreeing. "All right, fine. I guess since you're the only one who has taken interest; I'll have to tell you." Demyx nodded readily and waited for him to proceed. "Well…yesterday I went into the Grey Room. See that plant over there?" He pointed to a plant in the corner of the room.

"Yeah," Demyx answered.

"I was going to water that. Poor thing would die without water. But…I chose the wrong time to do it," Marluxia paused, gathering his guts. "I walked in on Larxene and…Axel…making out." As soon as those words left his mouth, he crinkled up his nose disgustedly.

"Why does that disgust you?" Demyx inquired. "I think they're cute!"

"Please…" Marluxia said under his breath, trying to control his temper.

"Oh," Demyx realized. "It's jealousy, isn't it…"

Marluxia was about to respond when Luxord sauntered into the room. "Top of the morning to ya, gents!" he greeted, his British accent thick. "Saix, old bean! What mission doth you have for me today?"

Saix grunted, obviously hating the nickname. "Wonderland. Heartless," were his only two words as he handed Luxord the paper.

"Thank you, old man!" Luxord exclaimed, patting Saix on the back. Before number VII could explode at him, he opened the dark corridor and left.

Demyx's attention was turned back to Marluxia, who eventually spoke. "Yes…maybe…I don't know. I can't get my mind off of Larxene…"

Demyx took out a notepad and a pen. "Interesting. And how do you feel about Namine?" he asked.

Xigbar stood in the far corner of the room, his arms crossed. "Too much emotion going on in this castle," he muttered, displeased. "All because of Poppet…blasted replica. She must be stopped."

* * *

Twilight Town looked more beautiful than ever as Roxas and Xion roamed the streets. There was about two inches of snow on the ground, and rooftops were covered as well. The snow glistened in the sunlight.

Thankfully, there weren't any Heartless in Tram Commons. There were children, big and small, finding some way to play in the snow. Some were making snowmen, some were making snow angels, some were having snow ball fights, and others were building 'snow castles.' Roxas and Xion couldn't help but smile as they passed; the children looked to be enjoying themselves quite nicely.

Once they were in the backstreets of Twilight Town, they started to be on guard. Snowy Crystals had made their appearance in that world because of the snow, but they were no challenge for the Nobodies. Occasionally a Shadow Heartless or two would jump out at them, but they disposed of them quickly.

When Roxas and Xion came to a fork in the road, they paused. "Hmm…" Roxas mused. "Should we turn right or left…I-"

Suddenly Roxas' words were blocked from Xion's mind. She could see his mouth moving but couldn't hear anything.

"_Xion…"_

A whisper.

Mortified, Xion flung around. "Who's there?" she cried. But no one was there…

Roxas quickly came to Xion's side. "Xi, what's wrong?" he asked urgently. His face was stricken with worry.

Xion started to breathe again, panting. "I…I heard my name…"

Roxas looked into the girl's scared eyes, confused. "Funny, I didn't hear anything…"

Xion grabbed onto Roxas. "I…_felt_ a presence."

Number XIII squinted his eyes, examining the premises. He wrapped an arm tightly around Xion and started to walk forward. "Come on, let's move on." He felt the girl shiver as they walked, and he knew it wasn't because of the cold.

Xion hadn't totally recovered from that episode, but after a while she was feeling a bit better. They were on the opposite side of town now, as far away as possible from the 'haunted' backstreet.

After a close battle with a band of Snow Crystals, the two paused to catch their breath. "You're doing great, Xion," Roxas complimented between pants.

"Thanks…so are….you," Xion replied.

Everything grew silent. The only thing that could be heard was their breathing. It was almost eerie how the streets were so quiet. Suddenly, something broke the silence – a footstep in the snow. Both Roxas and Xion had heard it this time, and flung themselves around.

Because of their quickness, they spotted a shadow dart behind a building. They quickly followed it, but soon discovered it had disappeared…into a dark, narrow alley. There were no streetlights in that alley, and the buildings were too close together to let any sunlight in. Roxas shrugged and started to walk away, but Xion froze. Her feet were planted in the snow. She squinted and strained to see anything in the alley, but her attempts failed. All of a sudden, when Roxas had walked a few yards away, a harsh wind started to blow. Where was it coming from? The alley. Along with the winds came ghostly whispers.

"_Xion…..Xion….Xion…"_

Suddenly she felt something grab her from behind. She let out a shriek and tried to break loose, violently thrashing around.

"Xion! Xion!"

She knew that voice. Roxas. As soon as she acknowledged this and stopped thrashing, the wind stopped, as well as the whispers.

"Xion! What's happening?" Roxas practically shouted.

"Roxas!" Xion gasped, trembling immensely. "We're being followed! Please, let's leave!"

It only took one more look into Xion's terrified eyes for Roxas to make up his mind. They were leaving, and the quicker the better. He opened up the dark corridor and raced through, holding onto Xion tightly. As the dark corridor closed behind them, a quiet chuckle echoed through the streets.

* * *

The dark corridor opened up in a hallway of The Castle That Never Was, depositing the two Nobodies. Xion was still shivering, and Roxas was trying all he could to calm her down. "Xion, relax," he said soothingly, hugging her body close. "We're home now. You're safe." Xion took a few more deep breaths before her nerves started calming down.

"That…that was terrifying…I-" But Xion paused when she and Roxas noticed something. Xigbar was coming down the hallway – crawling on the ceiling!

"Let's go to your room," Roxas mumbled. They started walking down the hall, ignoring Xigbar as best they could.

Roxas and Xion were heading towards the Hall of Empty Melodies when the door unexpectedly burst open. Axel flew out and raced down the hall, screaming "SADIST!"

Larxene appeared at the door way a few moments later, rolling her eyes. She had a plunger in her hand and an annoyed expression on her face. "Baby," she commented.

Roxas and Xion exchanged confused glances. They cautiously passed Larxene and then hurried toward Xion's room.

As soon as Roxas closed the door, Xion flopped down on the bed and started to cry. Roxas was soon right next to her, trying his best to comfort her. "It was really that bad, huh?" he asked, soothingly rubbing her back.

Xion looked up at him, revealing her tear-stained face. "Yes! I kept hearing my name and feeling an evil presence! Someone's out to get me!" She buried her face in her pillow and continued sobbing.

Roxas planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "I believe you, sweetie." He then situated himself more comfortably, taking Xion in his arms and cuddling her closely. "I swear on my life I'll protect you. You're the dearest thing I have, and I won't let _anything_ harm you."

Xion sniffled and slowly her crying ceased. "I love you," she whimpered.

Roxas rested his chin on top of her head, squeezing her gently. "Shhhh," he whispered. "Get some rest." There were a few moments of silence before he spoke again. "And I don't care what Axel says. I'm not letting you sleep alone tonight."


	53. Too Close

Chapter 53 – Too Close

**Author's note: This is kind of an awkward chapter. It's still rated T though. Proceed at your own risk. **

Kingdom Hearts had risen to its fullest in the starry sky, signaling the arrival of night. In Xion's room, both Roxas and Xion were snuggled under the covers, waiting for sleep to take them. Roxas wore black and white checkered pajamas while Xion was in her nightgown.

Xion sat up and started to whimper. It hadn't been the first time that night, either. Roxas sat up and gently brought her down to a lying position. "C'mon, Xi, try to get some sleep," he said tenderly.

"No," Xion answered. "If I do I'll have nightmares!" She started to shiver, remembering her encounter in Twilight Town.

"Hey, hey, don't be scared," Roxas soothed, wrapping an arm around her. "You're cute, so you'll have cute nightmares! Like attack of the unicorns or something!"

Xion couldn't help but giggle. "Roxas!" she said with a smile.

"Sorry," number XIII chuckled. "When I'm sleepy I get a little loopy." He let out a yawn.

Xion inched closer to Roxas, wanting to feel all his warmth. "Get some sleep, don't mind me," the girl told him.

"But I have to mind you, that's my job," Roxas replied, beaming. "You're mine, and I must take care of you."

Xion let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "Okay….but I don't guarantee I'll be falling asleep anytime soon. Whenever I close my eyes I see that dark narrow alley…"

"That's funny, whenever I close my eyes I see Xemnas in a tutu," Roxas remarked. He wasn't being serious; he just wanted to lighten up the mood a little.

Xion made a disgusted face. "Ew…I think I'll stick to my dark alleys, thank you."

Roxas laughed. "I know!" he suddenly exclaimed. "We'll just talk and talk until you fall asleep!"

"Okay," she agreed, giving Roxas' body a little squeeze.

"Now what can we talk about?" Roxas mused. "Drat, Demyx is the one who's good at making up funny stories."

"Well I for one think Axel not letting us sleep together isn't fair," Xion spoke. "You would never do anything bad! You're a good boy!"

"I know," he agreed. Then a smile stretched across his face. "But he won't find out that we bent the rules a little."

The room grew silent; no one could come up with a topic for a conversation. At length, Xion cried out, "Please don't let the room fall silent! The voices in my head come back!"

"Umm, okay!" Roxas said quickly. "Um…did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?"

Xion blushed. "A few times, I think," she replied shyly. These conversations made Xion somewhat nervous. She thought Roxas' compliments were sweet, but she felt like she wasn't showing enough gratitude.

As Roxas spoke his next words, his eyes were sparkling. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. More beautiful than seashells, more beautiful than the beach, more beautiful than sea-salt ice cream…more beautiful than the Twilight Town sunset."

Xion's face grew redder than the Twilight Town sunset. "Thanks, Roxy. I feel the same way about you. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful boy as my friend…"

Roxas made a pout, though it was more of a teasing one than a real one. "We're just friends? After all we've been through together? Xion, friends don't kiss each other."

"Um…" Xion stammered. "I forgot the correct word…"

Roxas cracked another smile. Xion's 'thinking face' was quite adorable in his opinion. He moved his face closer to hers. "Xion, you're my girlfriend, and I'm your boyfriend," he told her tenderly.

"Oh, okay," number XIV replied, smiling. She pressed her forehead against his, staring into his ocean blue eyes. They just gazed at each other silently for a while until Xion spoke again. "I wonder where Axel is…"

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked. He didn't really seem that concerned. Actually, he seemed to be in some sort of lovey-dovey trance. His voice was low and whispery. He brought his lips to her nose and gave it a kiss.

Xion tried not to get distracted by Roxas' romantic displays of affection. "He usually says goodnight to both you and me before he turns in."

Roxas turned off his romantic mood temporarily to be humorous. "He's probably exhausted. Getting beaten with a plunger isn't exactly healthy, you know."

Xion let out a giggle.

"Now, where was I…" he began, turning dreamy again. "I feel like I haven't been reminding you of how I feel enough. Maybe it's because the definition of a Nobody is holding me back. But I won't let it hold me back anymore…I love you, and I'm going to prove it." He placed his lips upon hers in a tender kiss. When he drew back, Xion's eyes were closed, a peaceful smile on her face. "You like that?" he chuckled.

"Very much," Xion answered. "It's really calming."

Roxas took this as permission to do it again, so he did. It was held out longer this time, and Xion returned the kiss.

"I love you so much," Xion whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. "You're my meep."

Roxas chuckled, extreme and sincere love for Xion in his eyes. "What's a meep?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied sleepily.

"You're so cute," Roxas admired, beaming. He noticed how serene his girl looked, and how she would close her eyes from time to time. "Is this making you sleepy?" he whispered, his lips just centimeters away from hers.

Xion shuddered pleasantly from the feel of Roxas' warm breath on her face. "Yes…"

Roxas grinned. "Good. Then it's working." He pressed his lips gently to hers again.

The two stayed in that position for about a minute until Roxas drew away. He examined Xion carefully before concluding, "Asleep." He started to whisper to himself. "Now, to make sure she doesn't wake up until morning."

Roxas figured giving Xion one large kiss would guarantee her sleepiness completely. Adding more oomph would just make her sleepier, right? He pressed his lips hard against Xion's. At first he hadn't meant for it to get passionate, but the taste of Xion's lips enticed him. He started pressing harder and harder against her lips until…

Xion's eyes flickered open. Not only was she now awake, she was _wide_ awake. Roxas was kissing her with so much pressure that it made her gasp. And she couldn't help but let out a little groan as she felt Roxas' hold on her waist tighten. She hadn't remembered the last time Roxas ever kissed her like this, and frankly, she didn't know what to do. So she just kissed him back, trying to put as much passion into the kiss as he was.

Bad idea.

Roxas let out a groan as he felt Xion kiss him back. It encouraged him. He pressed up against her desperately, trying to be as close to her as possible. Then he moved his hands up from her waist until they were pushing against the back of her head, deepening the kiss quite a bit.

They broke the kiss for just a second to breathe before urgently getting back into it. They both felt this great need to be as close to each other as possible. They needed to feel each other. They needed to know that no one would ever separate them.

"Xion…" Roxas whispered between heated kisses. Xion pushed herself even closer. They were now so close that if they got any closer, they would be one being.

After a few minutes of passionate kisses, Roxas got an urge. He licked across Xion's lips as they kissed, hoping she would open her mouth. She was about to, too, when suddenly…

"Ouch!" Xion exclaimed, pulling away from the kiss.

Roxas let out an annoyed groan, upset that the kiss was over. "Whaaaat?"

The expression on Xion's face was mixed with fear and confusion. "I don't know…I feel something hard pressing against my leg."

Something hard…That brought Roxas out of dreamland. He felt…abnormal. Especially the lower part of him. The _private_ part. He anxiously lifted up the blanket and looked underneath at himself. There was a bulge in his pants. "Oh…my…gosh," he gasped.

"What?" Xion asked curiously. Roxas removed the blanket all the way to let Xion see the bulge too. "What the heck! What is that? What's happening?" Xion exclaimed.

"It's my um…" Roxas stammered. He didn't know what to call it. "Pee-er? Yeah, and I don't know what the heck is wrong with it!"

Both Nobodies were fearful of what could be wrong. "Oh no!" Xion panicked. "Is it swollen? Maybe it's infected! Maybe you have a disease!"

"I'll never be able to pee again!" Roxas cried.

Xion gasped in horror at a thought that had come to her. "What if the disease is…deadly?"

Tears started welling up in Roxas' eyes. "I don't want to die!"

"I don't want you to die either!" Xion wailed.

The two then started shouting out in unison, "Axel! Axel! AXEL!"

A few doors down the hallway, a very content redhead lay sleeping in his room. "No more coffee please," Axel mumbled in his sleep. "It gives me hives…" Suddenly the young Nobodies' cries reached his ears, and he awoke and sat up abruptly. "Roxas and Xion?" he asked himself, after listening to the cries for a bit longer. "Something's wrong!" He jumped out of bed, burst out of his room, and flew down the hallway. He heard both cries coming from Xion's room, so to there he went.

When Axel burst into Xion's room, what he found shocked him. First of all, Roxas was disobeying him by sleeping with Xion. Second of all, both of their faces were red. And thirdly, Roxas had a _problem_ downstairs! "Gah!" number VIII exclaimed. "Roxas! Out of Xion's bed!" He grabbed Roxas' arm and practically threw him to the ground.

"Oww!" Roxas whined. "That hurt!"

Xion jumped out of her bed and was soon by Roxas' side. She took his hand in hers before looking up at Axel with pleading eyes. "Axel, what's wrong with him? Is he going to die?"

Axel would have snickered if he hadn't been so angry at them for disobeying. "What' wrong with him? It's a little thing called _getting carried away_!"

Both Roxas and Xion were confused. "Huh?" they asked.

"This is what happens when you disobey! I can't believe you disobeyed!" Axel fumed. When he saw the confusion in his friends' eyes, he slapped his forehead. "I guess I'll have to explain…"

The two nodded silently.

Axel decided to start off his speech with a question. "What were you two doing before you noticed this…err…problem?"

"We were kissing…" Roxas replied, wondering how that was relevant.

"Aha!" Axel exclaimed. "Exactly! Seems like the kiss got out of hand."

"Well it was different…I never experienced anything like it before…" Xion admitted.

"This is why I told you…no sleeping together…" Axel sighed, frustrated.

But Roxas was still perplexed. "So…is it normal?" he asked.

Axel slapped his forehead. "Yes…for a teenage boy like you. Good thing you two started freaking out before anything could happen."

"Huh?" number XIII asked.

Axel groaned. "Roxas, are you daft? Don't you see? If that kiss had continued, you could have gotten Xion pregnant!" he shouted. The word pregnant echoed throughout the castle.

"Gaack!" Roxas exclaimed, flailing his arms.

Axel picked Roxas up by the collar and brought him close to his face. "Never, ever, ever, EVER do this again! Got. It. Memorized?" By the tone of his voice, Roxas knew Axel meant business.

"Okay," Roxas choked.

The redhead sighed and placed Roxas back on the floor. "I'm sorry I have to be so harsh…I just want you two to keep your innocence."

Xion nodded. "I…understand. But don't blame Roxas, please. He just stayed with me because I was afraid. Today in Twilight Town…something was haunting me."

Axel nodded. "All right, I understand. We'll talk about this more in the morning." He let out a yawn. "Roxas, off to your room."

Roxas looked over at Xion, sadness in his eyes. "Xion, I'm sorry…will you be okay?"

Xion nodded slowly. "Yes…"

Roxas leaned over and gave Xion a short, sweet, _innocent_ kiss on the lips before standing up. "I'll see you in the morning, Xi." And with no other words, Axel and Roxas left.

Axel decided to walk Roxas to his room just to make sure Roxas didn't go back to Xion. As they walked, Roxas let out a strange noise. "Ngh, this is uncomfortable."

Axel chuckled. "Old ladies," he said. He looked down and saw the bulge in Roxas' pants start to dissipate. "There."

"Axel," Roxas sighed. "How do I stop this from happening again?"

Axel shrugged. "Simple, just don't make out with Xion."

There was a moment of silence before Roxas spoke again. "Axel…I have a confession to make…"

Number VIII raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I…" Roxas began. "Well I once had this dream…about Xion…"

Roxas didn't have to say another word before Axel understood. "Oh ho ho," he laughed. "Yeah, those dreams are normal too. You're just growing up, Rox." He rested his elbow on the short boy's head.

"I'm…so confused," number XIII sighed.

Axel pondered for a minute before speaking. "Well…I think it's time you were taught the facts of life."

Roxas perked up, eagerly waiting for the mysteries of girls to be revealed.

Axel noticed this expectant look from Roxas and said, "Oh no, not from me. That'd be too awkward. Go ask Vexen."

"Oh….okay," Roxas replied.

They stopped just then, arriving at the door to Roxas' room. "Never scare me like that again," Axel reminded before saying his parting words. "Take care of your Xion. Be gentle with her. G'night."

* * *

Vexen was blissfully asleep in his bedroom. Being the science geek that he was, his bedroom adjoined his lab for easy access. He smiled in his sleep and smacked his lips, in the middle of a wonderful dream. "Why yes, Mr. President, I was the one who came up with a cure to the common cold…" he mumbled.

Suddenly something very startling woke him up. Banging on the lab door. He groaned in anger as he heard a young voice.

"Vexen! Can you tell me the facts of life?"

* * *

**End note: This is as pervy as it's going to get. Roxas and Xion won't get it on. I don't want to scare some of my readers, and also I don't believe in sex before marriage. Plus I don't know enough to even write a lemon. **


	54. Nightmare

Chapter 54 – Nightmare

_A beautiful sun floating below the sparkling ocean horizon. A sky filled with orange, pink, red, and purple hues. Gentle waters drifting up upon the shore. What a perfect scene. Xion and Roxas were the only ones there, the only ones in world. They were blissfully enjoying themselves._

_Roxas turned to Xion and spoke. "Let's keep it like this…forever. No more responsibilities, not more missions. Xion, we're free!"_

_Xion smiled peacefully, lying back in the sand next to him. "It is nice…but what about our friends?"_

_Roxas' expression darkened. "What friends?" he asked, hanging his head._

"_Axel…" Xion began._

"_He's not our friend," Roxas interrupted. "I thought he was for us, but he abandoned us like the rest of them."_

_Xion sighed. "But now we're abandoning them…Roxas, if we leave the organization, no telling what might happen! We're their only keyblade weil-" _

_But Roxas silenced her with a kiss. Once they separated, Roxas put his hands on Xion's shoulders and looked tenderly into her eyes. "Xion, I love you."_

"_And I love you," the girl replied soflty._

"_I want what's best for you," he continued. "And the organization is just taking advantage of us. They treat us like dirt, even though our keyblades are great value to them. Xion, this is not the life for you. For us…" His voice trailed off as he looked into the crimson sunset. "We could run away together! Somewhere they'll never find us! We could get married, have lots of babies, and be together forever…"_

_Xion's eyes widened. "Roxas…are you?"_

_Suddenly the blissful dream started to dissolve. Everything was being ripped away like it was weak fabric, revealing a thick black darkness. The sunset, the ocean, and the beach all started to disappear. Even the ground underneath them was vanishing. All that remained was Roxas and Xion. They started falling…and they kept falling. Plummeting into the nothingness below. Into oblivion. They were both crying out, pleading for someone to save them. But they had no allies. As they fell they saw faces and heard voices. The organization members laughing and tormenting them. And the disappointed face of Axel. _

_All of a sudden the falling stopped. There was no ground below them, just darkness. But they were standing. Suddenly a deep voice sounded. _

"_Number XIII and XIV…traitors."_

_Roxas tried to summon his keyblade but found he had none. "Show yourself!" he shouted._

_The veil was torn between them and Xemnas stepped out from the shadows. "For your treason…you will be put to death."_

_Roxas and Xion were both horrified. "No!"_

_Darkness overtook both of them, pulling them away from each other. They both struggled and cried for each other but could not break free._

"_Roxas first," Xemnas commanded._

"_No! Roxas!" Xion cried. Darkness wrapped itself around Roxas neck and starting choking him. He still fought wildly, but his efforts were in vain. Tears streamed down Xion's cheeks as she watched the boy she loved being choked. "ROXAS!" she screamed as he gasped for air. But it was too late. In a matter of seconds, Roxas' body fell limp against the black._

_

* * *

_

Xion flew up into a seated position, gasping. Her head turned every which way, examining her surroundings. She started to breathe again when she realized she was in the safety of her bedroom. "It was all a dream…" she mumbled, sweat pouring from her forehead. "Roxas…" Tears started streaming down as she remembered the sight of Roxas' lifeless body.

* * *

Roxas awoke feeling very uncomfortable. First of all, he was exceedingly tired. He spent most of the night after departing from Xion in Vexen's lab. He hadn't figured that Vexen's "The Facts of Life" video presentation would be so long…or disturbing. The things he had seen in that video were impossible to unsee. That's the second reason why he felt uncomfortable. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. "Ugh…my brain is scarred," he muttered. "I shouldn't have asked…" Suddenly he grabbed his head as the dream he had had flooded back into his mind. His dream had been filled with little sperm swimming around aimlessly. "People are so gross!"

Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted his spazzing. "C-come in!" he called. The door opened slowly and in walked a very shy-looking Xion. As soon as Roxas saw her, his pupils dilated. He couldn't help but remember the video he saw as he looked at Xion. It's not like Xion was dressed inappropriately; her nightgown was very modest. But now that Roxas knew what she was…made of…he couldn't help but look at her differently. He rubbed the back of his head as she came closer. "Xion, hey! Hi Xion! Hi... Xion! Hi, Xion!" But Xion didn't react. She just came closer. When she was close enough, Roxas noticed that her face was tear-stained. He immediately hopped out of his bed and pulled her into an embrace. "Xion, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Roxas!" Xion cried, throwing her arms around him. "It…it was terrible!"

Roxas' concern instantly grew. "What, Xion? What was terrible?" he asked urgently.

"My dream!" the frightened girl wept.

"So was mine," Roxas muttered. "…Wait! You had a dream? What was it about?" He pulled her back from him and looked into her tearful eyes.

Xion tried her best to explain, but when she got to the part about Roxas' death, she could hardly finish. As she burst out in more tears, Roxas pulled her close.

"Shhh, I'm here for you," he whispered. "I knew I should have stayed with you. This is all Axel's fault!"

Xion unpredictably pulled away. "No," she said, her voice stern. "It's our faults."

A wave of guilt washed over Roxas. He realized just how correct Xion was. It was quite mature for her to admit it, too. "You're absolutely right," he sighed, hanging his head. "It's more my fault than yours. I shouldn't have started. I shouldn't have…gotten excited."

Xion was suddenly the one who was doing the comforting. She put an index finger under his chin and lifted his head. "No, it's equally my fault. I continued it."

Number XIII sighed. "All right…but I'd like to apologize! Everything that happened last night was so awkward!"

Xion nodded. "I'd like to apologize for my share as well." Just then she realized that since this had distracted her from her dream, the tears had stopped. She was determined not to dwell on her dream, at least not now when she had other things to discuss.

Roxas leaned forward and gave Xion's lips a quick kiss. "Okay, we're good now," he said with a smile. "Now about your dream…"

Xion quickly changed the subject. "Roxas, why did that awkward situation even happen last night?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Roxas inquired, confused. Then he realized. "Oh…you wanna know the facts of life…"

Xion nodded. "Yep. Do you know them?" She gave him the same look he had given Axel the previous night. Now Roxas realized why Axel hadn't wanted to tell him.

"Erm…" he began nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah…I do know them…Vexen told me last night." He waited for Xion to speak, but she just smiled at him, waiting for him to begin. "Well you see…when two people…"

At that moment, Roxas' door opened and Axel entered. Roxas let out a sigh of relief. "I thought I heard Xion's voice…" number VIII began. "Xion, how long have you been here?"

"I just got here five minutes ago!" Xion explained. She really hoped Axel would believe her and not assume that she and Roxas had disobeyed him _again_. "Honest!"

Axel looked over at Roxas who was nodding his head rapidly. "All right, you look sincere," the Nobody decided, shrugging his thin shoulders. "But what are you doing in here, Xion?"

"She had a bad dream," Roxas responded. She nodded in confirmation. Before Axel could speak, the boy continued. "Axel, this poor girl is seriously being haunted! First the voices in Twilight Town, and now this awful dream? It's not safe to leave her alone!"

It took a moment to sink in before Axel responded. "Roxas, I _see_ your point! But I just can't let you two sleep together!"

Roxas' and Xion's expressions turned gloomy. "W-we understand," Xion said sadly. "I'll somehow find a way to overcome this…eventually."

Axel hated seeing his friends so unhappy. There had to be a way to protect Xion and her virginity at the same time. He thought for a long time, and his friends noticed this. Their fingers were crossed, hoping Axel would come up with something. At length, the man spoke. "Hmm…Xion?"

"Yeah?" Xion replied.

"What rooms are on each side of your room?" Axel asked.

Xion started to count on her fingers. "Well there's a storage cabinet on the left side…and on the right side there's an empty room."

Axel stroked his chin. "See, I'm thinking maybe Roxas can move close by so it'll be easier for him to get to you in case of emergency."

The two young Nobodies' faces lit up at the idea. "You mean it?" Roxas asked excitedly.

"Really?" Xion exclaimed, a big smile on her face.

"Of course," Axel answered with a grin. "I'll go ask the superior if we can move ya Roxas right after our missions."

The mention of missions caused Roxas and Xion's spirits to dampen a bit. Missions had grown tedious for them and they viewed it the way a normal child views school. But they were still very excited about Axel's plan.

Axel was about to leave when he turned around and looked them over. "Oh, and about last night…" Roxas and Xion's faces heated up at the mention. "I promise I won't tell Xigbar," the Flurry of Dancing Flames finished. The two let out relieved sighs.

"Thanks, Axel," Roxas told his friend.

"See ya half pints later!" Axel chuckled. And with that, he left the room.


	55. Mysteries Do Not Cease

Chapter 55 – Mysteries Do Not Cease

It was a hot but bearable day in Agrabah. Roxas, Xion, and Genie were seated around a small round table in the shade of a palm tree. Their location was an oasis just outside the city walls, for it was cooler there. The oasis hadn't been there previously; it was conjured up by the Genie. He also provided glasses of lemonade for the Nobodies.

"This weather sure is different from the snow in the rest of the worlds," Roxas stated, sipping his beverage. Xion nodded in agreement.

Genie shrugged. "Yeah, well there was snow here for one day. Then I got tired of it, and the citizens weren't used to the cold, so I melted that awful white stuff," he explained.

"Oh," Xion responded. "Well it's nice." She preferred warmer weather over cooler weather most of the time, though she did like to snuggle up with Roxas when it was cold.

"Thanks for helping us with our mission, by the way," Roxas told the Genie. Roxas and Xion's mission was to eliminate a giant Heartless in Agrabah. Luckily for them, the Genie decided to use his magic to speed up the process.

"Oh, it was nothing," Genie said, folding his arms behind his head. "I wanted an opportunity to chat with you guys anyways. How are things going? Have the other members remembered more?" He waited anxiously for their reply, hoping the news wouldn't be bad. The blame would fall on him, after all, if the members left on account of their memories.

"Oh, everything seems fine in the organization," Roxas replied. Genie let out a sigh of relief, but tensed up a bit when Roxas continued. "But…Xion's being haunted now."

Genie gasped. "Haunted? Oh, this poor little girl!" He started patting Xion's head rapidly. Xion cringed, obviously not liking the babying treatment.

"Yeah, like in Twilight Town she kept hearing voices and feeling a presence. And last night she had a nightmare," Roxas elaborated in a worried tone. "Do you have any idea-"

Genie cut him off. "Nope, afraid not," he said, shaking his head. "It _might_ be a side effect, but I highly doubt that. I think you've got yourself a different problem now."

"Oh, so it's nothing to do with you," Xion said, sounding upset. The only lead they had was now proven false, and she didn't know what to do. _"What else could it be?"_

When the Genie nodded, Roxas frowned. "Well, thanks anyways."

"I hope you two find out what it is," the Genie told them. He then took his last sip of lemonade, leaving his glass bone-dry.

The two Nobodies sipped their lemonade in silence. The only thing they could come up with was asking Axel, and they simultaneously decided in their minds to ask him after their mission.

Once they finished their lemonade, they thanked the Genie and RTC'd.

* * *

"Demyx, get that out of your mouth!" was the only thing Roxas and Xion could make of the other Nobodies' conversation as they exited the Grey Room. They took no notice of it because it was a well-known fact that one should not question anything that didn't make sense and had to do with Demyx. They had more important things on their minds, anyways.

When they met up with Axel in the hall, they noticed a wound on his hand that was bleeding.

"Axel, what happened?" Xion asked. Was it just her, or was Axel getting more injuries recently?

"Darn Larxene," Axel muttered. "She thinks of everything, you know that?"

Xion giggled and Roxas gave him a weird expression. "Okay….I don't even want to know," he said. It could be mind-scarring, and the last thing he wanted was more scars in his brain.

Axel nodded. "I'll go bandage this up and meet you two in Roxas' room," he informed. "Start packing your things, Roxas." He then headed down the hall quickly, holding his injured hand tightly so blood wouldn't fly everywhere.

The two complied and headed for Roxas' room. Once they got there, Roxas took out a few cardboard boxes and started placing his meager possessions in them. Xion sat on his bed and watched intently as he did so. He pulled out a few spare organization coats from his closet, along with his Twilight Town outfit, his swim trunks, and his pajamas. Not knowing underthings were supposed to be kept private, he pulled out his boxers as well and placed them in a box. Xion giggled when she saw the pattern on all of his boxers – black and white checkers. Roxas also put the seashell collection Xion gave him in a box. A few memorable photos and popsicle sticks later, number XIII was all packed. He kept the blankets on his bed, expecting that they would be moved together with his bed.

Soon Axel arrived with his hand all bandaged up. "Wow, Roxas, you don't own much," he commented.

"I know," Roxas grumbled. "Just help me move this stuff."

Axel chuckled. "You don't need help! An ant could move these measly items!"

After the three friends laughed good-naturedly, Axel opened up a dark corridor that led to the vacant room. "This way we won't have to cross miles of hallway to move this stuff," he explained.

"Good idea," Roxas commented. He and Xion picked up separate boxes and followed Axel. Axel was pushing Roxas' bed, wanting to get that out of the way first. "Put it against that wall," Roxas instructed. He pointed to the wall that was shared by Xion's room, wanting to be as close to her as possible.

Axel was starting to sweat as he pushed it around. "Okay, as long as you don't change your mind like a woman! I don't see why they can never decide where they want to put the couch." Once he was finished blabbering, the bed was positioned exactly how Roxas wanted it.

"Thanks," Roxas told his friend with a smile. He then noticed that Xion was struggling with a heavy box and quickly rushed to her aid. "Here," he said gently, taking the box from her and setting it down. "I'll unpack this stuff later. Thanks for the help, Xi-Xi."

Xion couldn't help but smile. The smile Roxas gave her always affected her that way. "Anything for you, Roxas," she told him.

Number VIII chuckled. "Dang, Xion, you're so gentle with Roxas. I sometimes wish Larxene was like you." He gestured to his bandaged hand.

"Axel, Vexen told me some people get turned on by pain, and he said you're probably like that. I don't think you would trade Larx-" As Roxas had been speaking, Xion's eyes grew extremely wide. Axel had noticed this so he quickly interrupted him.

"Shush, Roxas! We've got a somewhat innocent mind in the room!" he exclaimed.

"Aw, you boys will never tell me anything," Xion said, disappointed.

Roxas wrapped an arm around Xion. "Don't worry, Xi-Xi, you don't want to know all the details. Trust me, you'll never be able to forget…" He shuddered.

"All in good time, Xion," Axel told her. Then he changed the subject before Xion could ask any awkward question. "Hey, guys, let's go get some ice cream! We haven't done that in a while."

"You're right…" Roxas realized. "I kinda miss it." He turned to Xion. "Xion?"

Xion shook her head. "No, you two go ahead. I don't want to go anywhere near Twilight Town," she said soflty.

Roxas could tell she was afraid. He turned to Axel, hoping the pyro would come up with a master plan like he always did. "Axel, Xion's afraid of Twilight Town…"

"I know," Axel replied, deep in thought. "How's about I go there, get the ice cream, and come back?" he suggested.

"Okay, but where will we eat it?" Roxas inquired.

"Not in the Grey Room; Xigbar's gossip posse is always there," Xion reminded.

Axel stood there in thought for a moment before replying. "I know! There's this balcony coming off of the Hall of Empty Melodies. It's great; you have a spectacular view of Kingdom Hearts from up there."

"Okay!" number XIV agreed excitedly. It sounded really nice, and she was always eager to explore new parts of the castle.

* * *

Roxas, Xion, and Axel sat on a couch on the balcony, eating ice cream and laughing just like old times. They joked about random things like how Xemnas would look in a Mohawk. Roxas and Xion found Axel's tales of Lea and Isa quite amusing.

"I can't believe Saix used to be funny!" Xion laughed.

"Who would think old Saix would play the tuba in a school band?" Roxas exclaimed, humored. He was laughing so hard that he had to stick his ice cream in his mouth to shut himself up.

"Axel?" Xion asked. Axel stopped in mid-lick and looked over at Xion. "Do you know anything of Larxene's other?"

Axel took the ice cream off his tongue and shook his head. "Nope, not much at all. I barely remember something about this blonde girl who would pick on me when I was Lea; that might have been her. But I have no way of knowing," he explained.

"Well why don't you ask her?" Roxas suggested after removing his ice cream from his mouth.

Axel shook his head solemnly. "I'd rather not. Some Nobodies are rather…sensitive about their others. Like, they don't want to talk about them. I think I would like to keep all my body parts in working condition."

After those words, everything fell silent. Xion wordlessly scooted closer to Roxas to keep warm in the cool night air. The only thing that could be heard for miles was the sound of crickets, happily singing within Marluxia's garden. The three friends stared up at Kingdom Hearts, wondering if completing that heart-shaped moon was really their purpose in life. If it was, why did they feel emotions already? With emotions, why would they even need a heart? And were the organization's goals as authentic as they seemed?

At that moment, Xion broke the silence. "Axel, I'd like to talk to you about my nightmare," she said. Roxas and Axel both turned to look at her.

"Yes?" Axel asked, waiting for her to proceed.

"Well…" Xion began. She didn't exactly feel comfortable talking about it when it was dark outside and there was a possibility of someone in hearing range. But it was her only opportunity, so she continued. "Even though my dream didn't have anything to do with Twilight Town, I have this feeling there's a connection. I just don't know what…"

Axel chuckled humorlessly. "Well how's about you tell me what happened in your dream first?"

"Oh," Xion realized. "Okay. Well Roxas and I were on a beach and Roxas wanted to run away with me and leave the organization. He mentioned something about you betraying us, Axel. But then everything went black and Xemnas appeared and killed Roxas…" The sorrow in her voice grew, still remembering the image of the life being choked out of her special one.

"Well that dream's obviously ridiculous," Axel remarked. "I would never betray you two! You're my best friends!"

"We didn't want to doubt you," Roxas said quietly. "We're sorry…" Xion nodded in agreement.

"Okay, and make sure to get it memorized," number VIII said. "I won't betray you."

Roxas, and Xion especially, felt a little more at ease after what Axel said. They still couldn't figure out what was happening, and they knew that if Axel had any guess he would tell them. Waiting for the truth to be revealed worked with their previous predicament, so that's all they could do now.

Once they all finished their salty-sweet treats, they said goodnight and departed for their rooms.

* * *

Roxas lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in thought. Was there ever a moment where thoughts weren't racing through his mind? If only he had answers for all the questions he possessed. He couldn't shake off this feeling that he and Xion weren't safe. And even though he was closer to her, he was still worried about her.

Absentmindedly, the boy started to trace the white brick pattern in his wall. As he did so, he noticed one brick felt different. It felt…lose. He started fingering it some more. Maybe there was a secret compartment that would give him the answers he needed. But when he removed the large lose brick, he saw something that made joy shoot through his body. He saw his Xion's peacefully asleep face. "Wow," he whispered in amazement. "This is an even better way to protect Xion. It's like a small window with no glass, yet it's big enough for us to make contact." He carefully placed the heavy brick under his bed and then turned his attention back to Xion. Silently, he leaned forward and gently kissed the girl's lips, as not to wake her. "Nighty night, Xi-Xi."


	56. Sweet Memories

Chapter 56 – Sweet Memories

The darkness in The World That Never Was was blacker than usual. It was the middle of the night, and everyone in the castle slept peacefully. That is, everyone except Roxas. He, for some odd reason, found it impossible to fall asleep. He tried many times in many different ways – pulling the covers over his head, trying to stop himself from thinking about anything, sleeping in many different poses. But nothing seemed to help the insomnious Nobody.

Roxas let out a defeated sigh and turned over on his side, facing the wall. The wall with the missing brick. He gazed longingly at his Xion's peaceful sleeping face. She was the one afraid of nightmares, yet she was the one who could get to sleep? "Not fair…" Roxas muttered as he gently stroked her cheek.

As he gazed at the quiescent face, he couldn't help but admire Xion. "Oh Xion…so beautiful," he whispered. He started to feel some heat well up in his chest. He usually got that feeling when engaging in tender moments with Xion. "It must be love," he spoke softly, staring down at his chest. "It just has to be…" Though Roxas had believed in love ever since he first confessed his to Xion, there were many times he had doubts. Especially when the other members would constantly deny it. Their voices filled his head. He remembered the time he and Xion were practically put on trial in Where Nothing Gathers, and what each opposing member said about his feelings for Xion.

"_And because we don't have hearts, we can't feel…"_

"_It is evident that you need a heart to feel love…"_

_"I do not believe it is possible for Nobodies to love, because we do not have hearts."_

"…_this 'love' will just be a distraction and prevent us from accomplishing our ultimate goal…"_

"_But I do not believe it is possible to love without a heart…"_

"…_love is foolish and only someone with a heart can feel it."_

But then Roxas remembered something Axel used to say. The love he felt for Xion…it could come from his soul. Namine had tried to mess with his soul before, but her attempts were unsuccessful. Remembering Axel's explanation brought a smile to his face, and he felt less confused. "You're right, Axel…my love for Xion comes from deep within me – my soul."

He spent a few silent minutes just staring at Xion's face. He examined every detail carefully, wanting to 'get it memorized.' There was no way he could ever forget her now; not after _all_ they had been through together. Many pleasant memories started filling his mind. Memories of the clock tower before Xion's original death became especially clear.

_Roxas, Xion, and Axel were sitting on the clock tower, eating their ice cream. It had been a long day of missions, and they all enjoyed their chance to relax. They were talking about random things and laughing at things that didn't make sense; just like friends do. _

_Suddenly Roxas started bursting out with laughter. His friends looked at him curiously. Axel realized what was so funny, though, when he saw Xion's face._

"_What?" Xion asked, confused. Why was everyone staring at her?_

"_Xion!" Roxas chuckled. "You have ice cream on your nose!"_

_Xion's face turned red and she turned her head away. She was about the wipe the ice cream off with her sleeve when Roxas spoke._

"_Wait!" Number XIII exclaimed. _

_Xion turned back to him in puzzlement. "Huh?"_

_Roxas placed his hands on her shoulders. "Axel taught me never to let things go to waste." With those words being said, he leaned forward and licked the ice cream off her nose. Xion didn't understand why her face started to feel extremely hot. _

_Axel started up his laughter again. "Roxas, what did you just do?"_

_Roxas, even though he didn't know much, somehow knew that what he just did was awkward. "I…I don't know!" he admitted. He looked over at Xion apologetically. "Sorry…"_

_Xion couldn't help but smile brightly. "That's all right, Roxas! No harm done!" she reassured him. She didn't even notice it, but her body started to scoot closer to the boy._

Roxas cracked a smile at that memory. He realized that he and Xion had been close, even before his wish brought her back to life. And he comprehended _just _how awkward licking her nose actually was. He blushed at his own stupidity. Then another wonderful memory popped into his head; a memory that had also occurred before Xion's death.

_Roxas and Xion were walking down the halls of The Castle That Never Was, destined for Xion's bedroom. It was past sunset, and the two were going to call it a night. Roxas, being the good friend he was, decided to walk Xion to her room before heading to his. The two were laughing and giggling all the way there. _

"_So then Demyx said to Xigbar, 'I am not useless!'" Roxas mimicked in a whiny voice. _

_Xion started laughing. "That's funny, Roxas," she commented with a smile. "Demyx can sure be crazy sometimes."_

_Number XIII nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Have you ever had a mission with him?" he asked. Xion shook her head. "Well have you ever had a solo mission?"_

"_Yeah," Xion nodded._

"_Then you've had a mission with Demyx," Roxas commented flatly. Number XIV giggled. "Seriously, he makes you do _all_ the work! It's so annoying!"_

_At that moment, the two Nobodies arrived at Xion's doorway. "Darn, I guess I have to go to bed…" Xion said glumly. _

_Roxas frowned. "Well, Axel did say that time flies when you're having fun," he pointed out. _

_Xion forced a smile, trying to make the best of it. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow!"_

_A smile spread across Roxas' face. "Night, Xi-Xi."_

_Xion's smile dissipated and a look of confusion appeared. "Huh? Xi-Xi?" she asked, tilting her head._

"_Yeah, Xi-Xi!" Roxas confirmed with a bright grin. "Axel says it's called a nickname. So I decided that for fun, I'll sometimes call you Xi-Xi!" He playfully nudged her arm. _

_Xion grinned. "Okie, Roxy!" she replied cheerfully. Xion's nickname for him caused the boy the blush a little. "Good night." She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before retiring to her room. _

"Xi-Xi," Roxas mumbled, gazing lovingly at Xion's face. He kissed her gently on the cheek before situating himself in a more comfortable position. One of his favorite old reminiscences drifted back to him – the time he and Xion watched the stars together.

"_Sneaking out of the castle to Twilight Town was a great idea, Roxas," Xion complimented. Her eyes were fixed on the starry night sky, however._

"_Yeah," Roxas agreed. "I've always wondered what happened after the sunset. You, me, and Axel have been watching the Twilight Town sunset for a long time now, but I've never seen the next phase of it." _

_The two Nobodies were sitting atop the clock tower together. No ice cream was in hand; they were just simply gazing at the stars. The night was a rather cold one, so they had to huddle close to keep warm. Nonetheless, they were enjoying themselves tremendously. _

"_Those sparkly dots in the sky…" Xion began. "What are they?"_

_Roxas rested his head on his knees and gazed out into the distance. "Axel told me they're called stars," he replied. _

"_Oh. They're beautiful," the girl marveled. Her head moved slightly as she scanned the sky. A bright smile adorned her lips as well. "This is truly amazing…"_

_The two sat in silence for a while, just taking in the breathtaking beauty. _

_Roxas gently tapped Xion on the shoulder. "Xi, see that cluster of stars?" he asked, pointing to a specific part of the sky. _

"_Yeah," the girl responded. _

"_Don't they look like a Moogle?" he asked with a chuckle._

_Xion started to giggle when she realized he was right. The outline the stars made looked almost exactly like a Moogle! "Yeah!" she answered with gusto. She started examining the sky for more images. "Oh, look over there! That looks like sea-salt ice cream!"_

"_Now I'm hungry," Roxas said with a laugh. "Hm…those stars over there…they look like Axel!" _

_Number XIV laughed. "Yeah, I see the crazy hair!" She couldn't stop giggling as she searched the sky for more funny pictures. _

_Roxas had turned to look at the girl for only a second, but that second turned into many minutes. He found himself gazing at her in awe. She was so…pleasant to look at. The way the bright stars illuminated her face…the way her brilliant blue eyes sparkled in the darkness…she was just beautiful. _

_At length, Xion felt Roxas' eyes on her. "Huh?" she asked, meeting his gaze._

_Roxas quickly shook himself out of his daze. "It's nothing." Xion nodded and turned her attention back to the starry skyline. _

_Roxas sighed peacefully. "This is nice…We should invite Axel next time." Roxas knew that even though Axel was a close friend, he secretly just wanted it to be just him and Xion. He didn't understand why, either. He didn't want to ignore Axel…but there was something about Xion that just drew him in. _

"_Look!" Xion suddenly exclaimed. Roxas quickly looked up to witness a beam of light shoot across the sky. _

"_Woah…" Roxas marveled._

"_What was that?" Xion asked in curiosity. _

_Roxas thought back to when Axel told him a bunch of random information. "I think…Axel called that a shooting star," he told her. _

_Xion rested her chin in the palm of her hands. "So beautiful…"_

"_Axel told me," Roxas continued. "That if you see one and make a wish, your wish will come true."_

"_Okay," number XIV said with a smile. "I wish that we'll stay together forever."_

Roxas was amazed when he remembered that. "Xion's wish did come true…" he whispered. Maybe it was her wish that made his wish possible. Why else would a Genie he barely even knew be so cooperative in giving his wonderful life back?

When Roxas removed his eyes from the ceiling and looked back at little XIV, the side view of her head caused him to recall her death scene. He shuddered and tried to shake those bad memories out of his mind. This was a night for good memories, and he wouldn't let it be ruined. He reached his hand through the hole and gently took hold of her chin. As carefully as possible, he tilted her head so that he now saw the front view, rather than the side view. After kissing her sleeping lips a few times, Roxas started to feel sleep take him. "Finally," he muttered, curling up close to the wall.

* * *

**Author's note: Okay, two things. **

**First: This chapter might be confusing if you don't pay attention to which parts are italic and which aren't. The italic parts are memories, while the non-italics are reality.**

**Second: Thanks so much for all the positive feedback, guys! It means a lot. :) Your awesome reviews give me the motivation to continue. So I just wanted to thank you all. :)  
**


	57. Brothers

Chapter 57 – Brothers

Xion's eyes gently opened when morning arrived. The night had been a pleasant one, filled with nothing but beautiful dreams of her and Roxas. She was in such a peaceful daze that it took her a few minutes to realize that Roxas' face was smiling at her. Her eyes opened fully in alarm.

"R-Roxas?" she asked, totally confused.

Roxas was quick to explain, afraid Xion would get into a panic if he didn't. "Xion, it's okay! I just simply removed a brick in the wall! We're still in separate rooms, don't worry!" He crossed his fingers, hoping that would be enough to satisfy Xion.

Xion inched her hand forward and gently laid it on his face. Her blue eyes were large and curious, and she flinched a bit when she came in contact with his skin. "You are real….it's not a dream…." she muttered.

Roxas lightly took Xion's hand off his face and held it. "That's right," he confirmed with a chuckle. "I found this loose brick last night, so I pulled it out."

The girl's lips curled into a pleased smile. "Smart thinking."

"And this way…" Roxas began, moving his face closer. "We're not breaking Axel's rules but we still get to be together."

Xion nodded. "Mhm."

Roxas gave Xion a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving his dangerously-close-to-the-wall position and sitting on the edge of his bed. Only his back was visible to Xion. "Well," he said with a yawn. "We better get up. As much as I love sleeping in, Saix likes us to get our work done early. And we've kind of been slacking off recently."

With a sleepy disappointed mumble, Xion forced herself into a sitting position. "Lousy adults always have to drag me out of this nice comfy bed…"

"Hey, it's your fault it's comfy!" Roxas teased. "They gave us beds of raw mattresses! I couldn't wait to get off of them! But then you had to girlify them, especially yours, with tons of blankets."

"Hey!" Xion exclaimed in good-natured fun. "I like my blankets."

Roxas chuckled. "Yeah…" His face was adorned with a bright smile, happy to be joking around with his Xion. "Oh, and let's keep this missing brick thing a secret, okay? Axel would suspect the worst if he found out."

Xion nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"Well, I better put this brick back while you're getting dressed," Roxas changed the subject. As he bent down to take the brick out from under the bed, a certain thought crossed his mind. A part of him deep inside was telling him not to put the brick back. To spy on her? No, Roxas couldn't be thinking that! He's too innocent…

Roxas quickly shook the thought out of his mind and replaced the brick. And just to make sure no temptation crossed his path, he turned his back to the wall and even shut his eyes as he got dressed. He tried to close his mind to any thoughts by singing "It's a small world after all" over and over. This resulted in a few mishaps like putting his pants over his head and putting his jacket on backwards. But he eventually made it into his organization clothes.

The walk to the Grey Room was a pleasant one; Roxas and Xion talked passionately about going to the beach again. They really loved the ocean and everything about it. They longed to visit it again just for leisure, instead of passing it by while defeating some Heartless.

"Maybe we should ask Axel if we can go soon," Xion suggested as they neared their destination.

At that moment, the two entered the Grey Room. Because of all the nosey Nobodies who would love to tell Xigbar to spy on Roxas and Xion wherever they go, Roxas just replied with a nod.

As soon as he noticed them, Axel approached them with vigor. "Hey, small fries!"

"We're not small, we're fun sized!" Roxas retorted with a grin. Xion giggled as Axel rested his elbow on Roxas' head, causing the boy to wear a dismayed expression. "Hey! My head is not an arm rest! You'll flatten out my spikes!" he exclaimed, jerking away. This only caused his friends to laugh heavily.

"But Roxas…" number XIV began between giggles. "You told me your hair is naturally spiky. Doesn't that mean it wouldn't flatten out?"

Dangit, his super-duper hair secret had been discovered! Roxas' mind raced to find some excuse, but came out flat. Having no comeback is a real bummer, isn't it? So he did the next best thing. "Sh-shut up!" he exclaimed, though it wasn't harsh at all. He grabbed Xion's collar and pulled her into a quick but firm kiss.

While Xion stumbled back in shock, Axel raised an eyebrow. "What was that for, Roxas?"

Roxas rubbed the back of his head, realizing what he had done. Not only did he display that affection in front of Axel, but in front of many other members as well! He didn't dare look around to see who was staring. "Um…it was the only way I could think of to shut her up."

Just as Xion was coming out her daze, Saix showed up. He had his mission clipboard in hand and wore an unreadable expression. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly Axel exclaimed, "Heeeeeeey Isa!" Saix shot the pyro a cold glare before looking down at his clipboard.

"These missions need to be completed at once. Pack your things in a hurry after you get them," he instructed in a dull voice. His eyes scanned the list for a moment before he spoke again. "Number XIV…" He glanced at Xion for a second before his eyes returned to the mission roster. "A new garden has opened up in Wonderland. I have chosen you to perform a recon in it. _Alone_." He shot Roxas a nasty glare.

Xion's straight face turned into a frown. "Oh…okay…" she sighed, disappointed. Roxas, too, had a dissatisfied expression.

Saix turned to Axel, ignoring Xion's unhappiness. "Axel," he addressed. "You and Roxas are going to Halloween Town today to defeat a giant Heartless."

"Yes sir," Axel replied with no enthusiasm. He lazily saluted Saix before the bluehead left.

As soon as Saix was out of hearing range, Roxas looked up at Axel. "He loves splitting me and Xion apart," the boy muttered.

"Roxas, Saix can't 'love' splitting you apart, because he doesn't believe in love," Axel said with a chuckle. "Commit it to memory."

"Yeah, whatever," Roxas mumbled with a shrug. Saix always put him in a foul mood, and he no longer wanted to talk to Axel. At least this mission was with his buddy! He could have chosen to make it fun with a better attitude, but his resentment caused his mood to stay miserable.

Xion noticed this and came up from behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Roxas…" she began softly. But Roxas was too busy narrowing his eyes evilly at Saix to react. So the girl let out a sigh and said, "I'll see you after my mission." That caused Roxas to react. He spun around but she had already opened the dark corridor and left.

Roxas looked up at Axel who was giving him a disappointed look. "What? Did I push the wrong button?" number XIII asked, confused. Why was Xion acting strange?

Axel shook his head. "Roxas, Roxas, Roxas…Simple, naïve Roxas. Girls like a response when they talk to you."

Roxas looked over to where the dark corridor Xion exited in once was and realized what Axel meant. "Oh…I'll apologize to her later."

Axel slapped his forehead, thinking the whole ordeal was quite foolish. He opened a dark corridor and grabbed Roxas' sleeve. "Let's go, Einstein."

* * *

As soon as the dark corridor had deposited them in Halloween Town, Axel got the urge to whistle along with the invisible orchestra that played _This is Halloween_. But because Roxas was a downer and would get irritated at the slightest thing, he overcame the temptation and stayed quiet.

Axel tried to stand the silence as long as he could (which wasn't long at all). But when they arrived at Guillotine Plaza, he couldn't bear his friend's muteness any longer. "Roxas, cheer up already!" he exclaimed. Yelling - not exactly the way to cheer someone up. Roxas just lowered his head further, causing number VIII to groan. "This is not a big deal! Xion wasn't even upset! She loves you; she'll definitely forgive you after our missions!"

Roxas let out a sigh, his eyes fixed on the black ground. "It's not that…" he finally spoke. Roxas barely understood why he was depressed, but it was just this vibe he got from Saix that made him uneasy. "I just don't feel Xion's safe. Not in the organization…"

Axel let out a sigh, not knowing exactly how he was going to liven his friend's spirits. He understood his problem; he just didn't know exactly what to do about it. Slowly he began. "Roxas…I understand your predicament. Xion's the dearest thing you have. You lost her once, and you never want to lose her again. I don't want to lose her either, she's my friend. But you have to do your part in protecting her."

Roxas lifted his head and looked at the man in confusion. "What do you mean? I protect her all I can…"

"Yes, you protect her with your keyblade," Axel began. "_But_ another way to protect her is to keep you and her on good terms with Saix and Xemnas. Perform your missions thoroughly and don't complain about them. Don't display affection in front of Saix, because you know it disgusts him. Prove that Xion isn't a distraction to your work. Don't let them find any fault in you or her. That way they won't want to punish you in any way."

Roxas stayed silent for a minute, letting all of Axel's advice seep into his brain. Then he nodded, and what seemed to be a small smile appeared on his face. "You're right!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Let's do this mission right!"

"I was always for that," Axel muttered. Then his lips curved into a smile and he ruffled Roxas' 'naturally' spiky hair. "Good to have you back, buddy!"

As Roxas chuckled and fixed his hair, the two started down the path again.

They hadn't gone far before they were stopped by a very obnoxious roadblock - Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

"What are you doing in _our_ town again?" Lock asked, crossing his arms. The three children stood firmly in the middle of the narrow path. Even though they were much shorter than the Nobodies, they created a wall that prevented them from passing. Why couldn't they just hop over the children? Because their weakest spot would be at the children's disposal as they jumped over.

Axel, not wanting to give any information about the Organization to the juveniles, raised his eyebrow and answered, "We have our reasons…"

"Communists!" Barrel exclaimed, pointing a finger at them. That was the trio's cue to pull out their pesky pumpkin bombs. As Axel and Roxas braced themselves for impact, Lock, Shock, and Barrel readied their arms to throw. That is, until Shock cried out.

"Wait!" the freaky female child shouted. Her friends halted and she put her arm down, looking at Roxas. "Hey, yellow-hair!" she addressed rudely.

"Uh…yeah?" Roxas asked, confused. He didn't understand why they just stopped their exasperating attack.

"You got any more of that Ghostberry chocolate?" she asked, her mouth watering.

Roxas recalled at that moment the time he gave them chocolate when he and Axel were searching for Xion. He bought that chocolate for him and his friends from the Moogle but ended up giving it away. He hadn't seen it in Moogle's shop since. "Um…no…" he answered slowly, afraid of the brats' reactions.

Lock gasped. "No Ghostberry chocolate?" he shrieked. His expression resembled one who was about to faint.

Roxas didn't understand what the big deal was. He guessed that either chocolate was a delicacy or that these brats were just too spoiled. "It's just almond…" he muttered.

"You will pay, yellow-hair!" Barrel exclaimed. Simultaneously, three pumpkin bombs left the children's hands, headed straight for Roxas' face. This must have been Roxas' off-day, because he wasn't prepared at all for this. One should always prepare for facial attacks when it comes to these three. He cringed, shut his eyes, and waited for impact. Seconds passed…but he still hadn't gotten hit! Did pumpkin bombs really travel that slow? Gradually, he opened his eyes to see Axel standing in front of him, using his chakrams as a shield.

"You really didn't think it would be _that_ easy, did you?" Axel asked with a smirk. The three children started to back away, panicking. They wondered why they only packed one bomb each before they left home.

Seeing mischief in Axel's eyes, the brats began to apologize. Not sorry for what they almost did, but sorry that they were caught without defense. "W-we're sorry!" Shock cried with fake tears. But Axel kept approaching.

"Someone needs to teach you kids a lesson," Axel said. "You've been spoiled into gluttonous pigs…" That impish smile of his never left his face.

The next movement of Axel happened so fast that Roxas didn't even see it. The next thing he knew, the pyro was holding two of the children still by the hems of their shirts while he had the third one bent over his knee for a spanking. Roxas couldn't help but chuckle as he watched each child get punished the 'old fashion' way.

After he had finished, he roughly let them go. "And just remember _that_ next time you get the notion to mess with _anyone_ in a black coat!" Axel instructed firmly. "Got it memorized?"

"Y-yes…" the three nodded fearfully.

Axel left his strict position and started to rub his chin. "Well…" he said pensively. "Unless they have blue hair…" Axel's thought process gave Lock, Shock, and Barrel enough time to flee for their lives. By the time he looked back, they were out of sight.

Roxas let out a relieved sigh and walked up to Axel. He couldn't believe how close his face was to being blasted apart. "Thanks," he told his friend, trying to sound as appreciative as he could. "You saved my…face." He was going to say hide, but he realized 'face' was more appropriate for the situation.

"See? I may not be Xion, but I'm good for some things," Axel said with a smile. He was only teasing Roxas, but it caused the boy to feel guilty.

Roxas hung his head low and sighed. "Axel, I'm sorry…I know I haven't been paying much attention to you recently…"

At that moment, several Hover Ghosts appeared, giving Axel no chance to reply. "We'll talk about this later!" he called out to Roxas over the noise of the enemy. He summoned his chakrams and began the brawl. Roxas quickly joined in with his keyblade, hacking away mercilessly at the Emblem Heartless.

A large number of Hover Ghosts Snowy Crystals later, Roxas and Axel arrived at the area with Curly Hill. "Dang," Axel said, stretching his back. "I wish those little Heartless were it. I'm pooped!"

Roxas looked down at a small piece of parchment Saix had given him. It contained the description and instructions for the mission, as well as a map. His eyes were currently focused on the map. "It says the giant Heartless should be around here somewhere…" He scanned his surroundings as he placed the paper back in his coat pocket. Despite his usual better judgment, he started to walk forward at a quick pace.

"Wait, Roxas!" Axel called out, sensing that Roxas was headed for trouble. "Be careful!"

But Axel's warning had reached Roxas' ears a bit too late. After taking a few steps forward, the boy found himself being lifted up in the air and squeezed tightly. Caught totally off guard, he was in no position to escape. "What the heck?" he cried, his voice cracking. "Tentaclaws!"

Number VIII quickly started slashing at the one holding Roxas with his chakrams as many more surrounded them. Sweat poured down the man's forehead as he struggled to free Roxas before he himself was captured. Hearing commotion behind him, he jumped to the side a few times as he fought, just barely missing a Tentaclaw's grasp. "These shouldn't be here!" he shouted.

"Tell them that!" Roxas managed to say as the tightening became more and more uncomfortable. Suddenly the pressure was relieved and he fell to the ground, landing hard on his bottom. However, he didn't have much time to rest. He jumped to his feet, despite the weary shape of his body, and aided Axel in defeating the rest.

After what seemed like eternity, all the Tentaclaws were defeated. Seeing it was safe, Roxas immediately dropped to the ground, panting. Axel was soon by his side, a bottle of potion in hand. "Drink this," he instructed, handing the boy the potion.

Roxas quickly took the cork out, lazily dropping it beside him. He then put the bottle to his lips and drank the oddly-colored liquid. It wasn't tasty, but at least it got him feeling better. Once the bottle was empty, he tossed it aside, creating a loud crash. He lay there a few minutes, panting ever so often, until the potion started to work. "Thanks…I feel better," he told his friend.

"Good," Axel said, helping number XIII up. "Do you think you're up for a giant Heartless fight?"

Roxas summoned his keyblade and got in his battle stance, hoping it was enough to convince Axel he was fine. He still felt a bit dizzy, but duty called. "I have to," he replied, determination in his voice. "For Xion."

"Right," Axel nodded, beckoning the chakrams he had left on the ground. "Let's find this bad boy."

The two didn't have to walk much further before they had stumbled upon the boss. And what they saw stunned them - four green spiky legs, a large black coffin, and a magenta bulb. "Leechgrave?" Roxas asked in terror.

Axel squinted his eyes to read the small writing on the coffin. "Leechgrave II," he corrected. At that, the giant Heartless shot out one of his thorny roots, causing Roxas and Axel to disperse. "And he's got more tricks up his sleeve!" The man took notice that there were no Tentaclaws around him like there had been around Leechgrave I. Leechgrave II was larger, too, and was in a different location. How even was there a Leechgrave II? Did Heartless plant things mate?

"I hate Leechgrave!" Roxas screamed as he dodged more thorny roots. "I have nightmares about him all the time!"

Axel glanced over at his friend's panicky state and felt some irritation. "Roxas, what's gotten into you? Focus! You've defeated the first Leechgrave alone before!"

Roxas ducked under Curly Hill as a root came towards him. In result, the root got stuck in the hill, giving the blonde enough time to slash it a few times. "Yeah, but I almost lost a leg!" he retorted as the parasite's root retreated.

"No fear, Roxas!" Axel shouted, trying to encourage him. "I've got plenty of potions and spells to heal you with!"

Roxas took a few deep breathes before common sense finally hit him. "Right. I'm a member of Organization XIII. I've defeated many giant Heartless single-handed. I can do this!" With a burst of courage, the boy jumped at Leechgrave II's coffin and started ruthlessly hitting it. Axel watched skeptically, hearing many metallic clangs. It didn't seem as if that attack was doing any good.

"Roxas!" the Flurry of Dancing Flames shouted. "Stop that! It's not helping!"

Roxas looked back at Axel quizzically, giving Leechgrave II enough time to shove the pesky boy off of his coffin with a thorny root. Roxas crashed to the ground a few feet away with a groan. Pain shot through the boy's legs and he couldn't even think of getting on his feet. "Ow…" he whimpered.

When Axel saw Roxas' figure sprawled out on the ground in that way, he was filled with concern. "Roxas!" he called, hoping number XIII would have enough strength to respond. Roxas tried to look up, but when he saw three Leechgraves and four Axels, he laid his head back down. Roxas' reaction made Axel worry even more. He was about to get out a potion when he saw Leechgrave shoot out his roots towards Roxas. Immediately the man gashed at them with his flaming chakrams, barely saving the boy from impact. "I can't get a potion to you!" the redhead yelled, occupied in keeping the parasite back. "I'll hold him back, you try to get up!"

Even though in reality Axel's voice was quite booming, it was delivered to Roxas as a faint whisper. "Okay…" he mumbled, trying to lift his head up again. Now there were only two Leechgraves and three Axels. "I can't let my friends down," he managed to say, though only he heard it. He squinted his eyes hard until only one Leechgrave II was present. He tried to figure out why his attacks on the coffin were ineffective. They worked on the first Leechgrave. He carefully studied the giant Heartless. Suddenly, when Leechgrave II began spewing out poisonous pollen, an idea came to him. The bulb! "Maybe if I hit the bulb it'll work!" He then noticed that his keyblade was ready to unleash his limit break. He picked it up in his hand and sat up. Fueled by his new discovery, he forced himself on his feet. Ignoring the shooting pain in his lower body, he sprinted up Curly Hill. Axel was too busy trying to keep his body in one piece to notice the boy make his way up. Once Roxas was on the very top, he tried to keep his balance as he looked down upon Leechgrave II. Much to his joy, he found that he had a perfect shot from up there. And the best thing was the boss didn't even expect him! Finding it best to complete his plan swiftly before he lost his balance from dizziness, Roxas raised his keyblade. With an ear-shattering battle cry, he courageously jumped down onto the bulb and unleashed his most deadly attack.

Leechgrave II was caught totally off guard, just like Roxas had been when attacked by the Tentaclaws. Payback time! The Heartless immediately turned his attention to the boy on his bulb, forgetting all about Axel. For a second, number VIII just stood there in shock. Roxas had looked practically dead a few minutes before, and here he was fighting his hardest! His moment of astonishment was short-lived, however, when he realized he still had a role to play in this melee. He had to prevent Leechgrave II from uprooting his roots and using them to swat Roxas off. Without delay he started circling the plant, scything away at the roots with all his might. The attack was so effective that within a matter of seconds, Leechgrave II burst into a cloud of purple smoke, leaving behind only the valued Hearts.

As Roxas' keyblade automatically collected the Hearts, he relinquished it and fell to the ground. He felt so exhausted and in a terrible amount of pain. His legs and feet were throbbing, but he felt a sense of peace. He had played the major role in taking down the offspring of his most feared and hated enemy. He was too busy contemplating that he didn't even notice Axel dragging him until he found himself propped up on a bench. His friend was at his side, handing him a Hi-Potion. Without much thought, the boy shakily took it and placed it to his lips. Once he had finished, he set the bottle aside with a burp and leaned back. His eyes closed and remained so until he started feeling the potion working.

Once Axel saw color come back into the Key of Destiny's face, he started to talk. "Wow, Roxas, great job!" he praised.

Roxas opened his eyes and looked at Axel. "Thanks," he said weakly, a small smile gracing his lips.

"You overcame your fears and helped a _ton_ in defeating Leechgrave II," the pyro said proudly, placing a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm getting better," he answered in a voice that was less weak than his previous words. "But I still feel really bad…"

"Well, just wait for the potion to fix that," Axel told him.

"No, it's not that," Roxas said, shaking his head. "It's not physical. I feel bad for how I've been treating you recently."

Axel shrugged. "You haven't been treating me bad," he assured him. And in his eyes, Roxas had been treating him fine. Sure he spent most of his time with Xion, but he didn't _totally_ ignore him. The three had just eaten ice cream together the previous night. But Roxas saw it differently.

"Yes I have," number XIII insisted shamefully. "I've been taking you for granted. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be alive right now." He paused. "Ever since Xion and I got really close, we've been leaving you out of things. And it's not like we're sore at you for harshly bringing Xion back to the organization before all this reform happened. I guess I'm just selfish…"

Axel let out a sigh. "Roxas, it's not a crime for couples to want to be alone together," he explained as gently as he could.

"But that's all we ever do!" Roxas retorted. This conversation was totally going against human nature – Roxas was trying to prove himself guilty while Axel was trying to prove he's innocent. "And even when we all three hang out, I mainly pay attention to Xion."

"Roxas, chill out," Axel instructed kindly, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "You and Xion love each other so much, it's natural for you to act that way. Don't feel bad about it. And besides, I've got Larxene to keep me occupied. Even though she's been more sadistic recently, she's still great company."

Roxas looked up and noticed all the scratches and other marks on Axel's face and neck. They weren't fresh, so he knew they weren't from Leechgrave. "Axel, you can't _really_ like getting injured by Larxene all the time."

Axel shrugged. "They're just minor injuries," he explained. "And I love Larxene, so I look past that."

Roxas still couldn't understand how Axel could like a sadist. But he and Axel were different, so it did make sense. Roxas loved the soft, adorable, gentle kind like Xion, but apparently Axel liked more vicious girls. "Still…" number XIII sighed, not wanting to admit he was innocent just yet. "We three haven't eaten ice cream on the clock tower in a long time. We aren't the same trio anymore. We're split…I miss the fun we used to have, and I bet Xion does too."

Axel agreed with Roxas on this one. They hadn't been going to the Twilight Town clock tower for ice cream after missions. But Xion was afraid of Twilight Town. However, even before that they stopped doing it. It was such a well-loved tradition, he felt sorry that it had been broken. It kept their friendship together, but now he noticed they were drifting apart into their own separate lives. Larxene wouldn't mind going thirty minutes without Axel every day; she had plenty of things to do. She was actually working on a book called _1000 Methods of Torture_. "You're right," the pyro admitted. "Oddly enough, those afternoons are what keep us together."

All was silent for a moment as the two just sat there, thinking about all the fun the AkuRokuShi trio had in past. They wanted that fun to continue. At length, Roxas was brave enough to ask, "Can we do that today?"

Axel looked up, at first startled by the question. But then a smile spread across his face. "Good idea," he said. "Let's do that."

Roxas beamed, excited that they had come up with a way to bridge the gap.

"We can stop by the castle first to get Xion. I'll tell Larxene where we're going so she won't get pissed," the Flurry of Dancing Flames decided. "You feeling back to normal now?"

Roxas nodded cheerfully. "Yep! Let's go!"

Axel and Roxas got up from the bench and started their way back to the dark corridor. As they walked, they talked and joked about random things like Roxas' reoccurring dreams of Sora as a merman. The two Nobodies were best friends. Brothers.


	58. Twelve Past Eight

Chapter 58 – Twelve Past Eight

"Saix, is the moon really made out of blue cheese?"

It was currently Saix's least favorite time of the day – the time when Demyx came home from his mission. Why? Because as soon as the Melodious Nocturne returned from 'completing' his assignment, he would pester and nag number VII until his hair turned grey. And that wasn't an exaggeration either; the previous night Saix was shocked to find three grey hairs in his head.

Demyx was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed in front of the blue-haired Nobody. He looked up at him with expectant eyes. Saix let out a grumble at his childishness. After a few minutes of silence, Demyx asked again. "Well is it?"

Saix started to breathe heavily, trying with all his strength to keep his rage inside him. He turned around, facing the large window panes. He had a dazzling view of Kingdom Hearts sparkling in the dark sky. "Oh great Kingdom Hearts!" he pleaded as if the powerful moon could hear him. "What can I do? He's making an old man out of me! What have I done to deserve this?"

Little did Saix know that while he was pleading to the inanimate object, Roxas and Axel had RTC'd. As soon as Axel saw him, he took advantage of his blind spot and crept up behind. "You abandoned Lea for the power of second in command," he whispered, acting as if he was Kingdom Hearts answering back.

And the hoax worked. "I-it wasn't my fault!" Saix answered quickly with a stutter. Only when he got extremely nervous did he ever stutter. Other times, he was practically a grammar genius (as was Vexen the _few_ times he didn't stutter). "Lea was an obnoxious little ogre!"

Axel found it time to end the deceit. He placed a hand on Saix's shoulder. "Oh was he now?" number VIII asked in his regular voice. "Isa."

Startled, Saix nearly lost his composure and screamed like a little girl. But luckily for him, he was able to catch himself with a mere "augh!" He whirled around to face his frightener.

Demyx, who was watching the whole façade, couldn't help but chuckle, even though he didn't have a clue of what they were talking about.

"Lea!" Saix exclaimed in shock. Then he realized he was showing too much emotion, so he corrected himself with a monotone "Axel."

"Call me psycho if you'd like…" the Flurry of Dancing Flames began. "But I have this odd memory of Isa once calling Lea _friend_."

Saix stepped a bit to the side, shrugging Axel's hand off his shoulder. "Times have changed, number VIII," he said in coldest voice he could muster.

Axel shrugged. The fact that his old friend was treating him differently now did bother him, but he tried to not make too much of it. He had Roxas and Xion now. "Whatever, mooner," he replied simply, walking back to Roxas.

"He's not the mooner, I am!" Demyx exclaimed. At that, a little bit of Saix died inside. But he wasn't off the hook. Demyx looked up at him and asked, "It is made of blue cheese, isn't it?"

While Saix was furiously telling number IX that the moon was actually made of Hearts, Axel had rejoined Roxas. "Ogre, huh?" the redhead wondered. "Tell me, Roxas, do I look like Shrek to you?"

Roxas hadn't seen many movies besides Lord of the Rings and How To Train Your Dragon, so he had no idea what Axel was talking about. "Huh?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Never mind, Zombie!" Axel laughed, ruffling Roxas' hair. "Now go get Xion; I'll tell Larxene."

Roxas complied and went to the first place he could think of to find the girl – her room. He found her lying on her bed with a Nintendo DS. He could tell she was playing Re:Coded by the sound of Sora's pain-filled groans. That was something he didn't understand – how could she be so good at playing 358/2 Days yet always die on Re:Coded? He guessed maybe she was purposely doing that to Sora.

* * *

"Roxas, I'm hungry…" Xion sighed. "Can we get ice cream yet?"

Roxas and Xion were already on the clock tower in Twilight Town, waiting for Axel to arrive.

"I'm sorry, Xi," Roxas apologized. "Axel said he was going to buy the ice cream."

Xion nodded, but her stomach wasn't ready to accept the fate. It let out a loud growling noise, causing Roxas to feel even worse about depriving her.

As the wind howled through the trees below, it sent a chill up Xion's spine. She forgot all about her hunger and scooted as close to Roxas as possible. "Roxas…" she began timidly.

Roxas wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry," he told her gently. "I'll protect you." He had his keyblade sitting next to him, as well as a rucksack filled with magic spells and potions. There was also a bundle of sticks nearby, just in case something was to happen to his keyblade.

Xion felt a lot safer with Roxas by her side, but she still promised herself to be extra cautious. No sitting too close to the edge, no sitting more than three inches away from Roxas, and no wandering off on her own. Something was down there, waiting to strike.

She didn't want to be a downer who would potentially ruin the trio's evening, so she tried to relax. Resting her head on the boy's shoulder, she gazed out into the sunset. "This sure is nice," she sighed blissfully. She would have asked him how his mission went if he hadn't already filled her in with the details as she allowed Heartless to bash virtual Sora's brains out. So they just sat there in peaceful silence.

* * *

"Larxene?" Axel called, knocking on number XII's door. In a matter of seconds, the door opened, revealing an uncharacteristically happy Larxene.

"Well, look who's finally back," she said with a pleased smirk. She placed her hand on her hip and rested against the door frame. "What took you so long?"

Axel shrugged. "Oh, nothing much. Roxas almost died a few times, but you know." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but it wasn't irritated sarcasm.

"Wimp," Larxene giggled. She then turned and left the door frame, entering back deeper into her room. "Come on in," she beckoned with a grin.

"I can't stay long," Axel replied. He was starting to feel a bit of guilt, noticing how friendly Larxene was. But he feared that would change in a few milliseconds.

Larxene froze with her back to him. It took her a few seconds to turn around since she was doing so at a slow pace. "Why not?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Have an appointment to cheat on me or somethin'?"

Axel shook his head furiously, surprised she would even think that. "No, no, no, no!" he answered quickly.

Larxene stepped forward slowly and summoned her throwing knives. She looked like a cat about to strike. "Who's the girl?"

"No one!" number VIII defended.

But, alas, Larxene still did not believe him. She had so many dreams about him leaving her for a sluttier girl that she just couldn't believe him. "Who's the girl?" she repeated again. Her voice was calm, but Axel could tell she was holding back her fury.

Axel rolled his eyes and sighed, frustrated that she wouldn't believe him. "Roxas," he said in deep sarcasm.

Larxene's ears did not hear the sarcasm, so she boiled over. "What?" she exploded, raising her knife-filled knuckles to strike. "You…you're…?"

"Of course not!" Axel shouted, grabbing her wrists before she could slice his face up. She tried to break free, but his grip was unyielding. He tried his best to keep his voice calm as he explained to her the truth. "Roxas, Xion, and I are just going to eat ice cream on the clock tower. We used to _always_ do that, and you know it. We've slacked off recently, so we'd all like to renew our friendship by starting back up…"

Larxene was silent for all too long; only her heavy breathing could be heard. She stopped fighting his grip and just stood there, wondering if she could trust him. He _was_ looking at her straight in the eyes, and she knew that was a sign of truth.

"Larxene…" Axel spoke at length. "Why don't you trust me?"

Larxene felt a shooting pain deep inside her when she heard his voice. The tone…it sounded so hurt. Why did that tone have such an effect on her? She was the toughest, most sadistic Nobody of all. How could she be such a wussy as to feel for someone? As to…feel _love_?"I've been having dreams…" she muttered. She released her knives, slipped through Axel's hold, and retreated to sit on her bed. Axel followed her and sat next to her, trying to read her expression. She looked as if she was fighting her deep emotions.

"Haven't we all…" the redhead replied soflty. "Dreams about what?"

Larxene shrugged. "A lot of painful subjects. You cheating on me, the words Marluxia told me a while ago…and most of all, the memories of Castle Oblivion. You betrayed me, Axel." Instead of saying it grudgingly, her voice was sad…hurt.

It was Axel's insides' turn to be in pain. That memory had recently come back to him too, and he couldn't describe the overwhelming feeling of remorse. He had hoped with all that was in him that she would never regain that memory. But she had. "Larxene…" the man began, preparing his words carefully. "You were different back then, as was I. I never let personal feelings show or get in the way. I was just following my orders. You…you and Marluxia were power-hungry. I don't know if he deluded you or you were just naturally like that. But you're not like that now. I would never betray you now…"

It took a moment for Axel's heartfelt words to sink in thoroughly. After a few moments of silence, Larxene spoke. "Marluxia did delude me, but my stubborn sadistic nature was also a key factor. You…had every right. And I'm sorry about being so sadistic lately…it's just sometimes so hard to fight my need to see blood. But I think I was also getting back at you for betraying me."

Axel gently took Larxene's hand in his. "So…is that the reason you think I'll cheat on you?" he ventured.

Larxene nodded, staring down at the floor. She didn't dare raise her head, in fear of Axel seeing her wet eyes. "If I become that stubborn and sadistic again, I know you'll betray me…"

Axel moved his lips closer to her ear. "But I know you'll never be like that again…" he whispered. "Just never listen to _anything_ Marluxia says, got it memorized?"

Larxene raised her head and looked into Axel's emerald eyes. Axel noticed that she had been close to tears, but decided not to point the obvious out. She couldn't help but love the man. He was sweet, caring, and could take a punch. He could stand her sadism and even seemed to enjoy it. No other guy could be like that. She saw right through Marluxia when he once professed liking her – he was a selfish man who just wanted status and someone to make him feel good. He never thought 'what could I give?' rather 'what could I get?' But Axel was a totally different story. He was _perfect_. She couldn't help but toss her arms around his neck and hug him, no matter how out of character it was for her. "Axel…"

Axel chuckled and returned her tight embrace. "So you believe me now?" he inquired, even though the answer was pretty obvious.

"Yes," she answered, resting her chin on his shoulder. "But please don't leave me…"

Number VIII let out a sigh, conflicted on what to do. Roxas and Xion were his best friends, but he loved Larxene. And she was actually showing a _positive_ emotion. He pulled back from the hug and placed his hands on her shoulders. One look into her pleading turquoise eyes was all he needed to convince him. He forgot all about his promise to Roxas and Xion and the fact that they were depending on him for ice cream. "I'm staying," he decided.

Larxene sighed in joyful relief, lying back on her bad. "Thanks, Axel," she told him with sincerity. Axel lay down next to her, his face facing hers. He let his hand wander towards her until it rested gently on her hip. After a few moments of blissful silence, Larxene spoke again. "But don't expect me to show this much emotion all the time."

Axel let out a chuckle. "Don't worry," he said with a smile. "I won't."

* * *

Roxas was suspended over the edge of the clock tower, Xion holding as tightly as she could to his feet. Why this madness? Did he fall off the tower? Was he trying to commit suicide but got stopped? No, actually, he was just trying to find out what time it was.

"It's…" Roxas began, straining to make sense of the numbers upside down. "Twelve past eight."

Xion let out a sigh as she hoisted Roxas back up. "Axel's isn't here yet," she said, sorrow in her voice. "Maybe he decided he didn't want to come…"

"But he promised!" Roxas defended. "And he was looking at me when he promised too! He wouldn't just back out on his word!" Roxas couldn't believe that his best friend, the man he looked up to for so long, would just break a promise like that.

On the other hand, Xion didn't know what to think. She wanted to believe Axel was honest, but she had her doubts. "Maybe you just don't know him as well as you think you do…" she suggested softly.

Roxas ignored those words, thinking Xion was just saying that because she was sorrowful. She did have a habit of saying things she didn't honestly believe when she was upset. He pulled the girl into a comforting hug. "Don't worry, he'll be here," he told her. "Just tell your stomach to hold on a little bit longer." As Xion rubbed her growling stomach, Roxas looked back at the stairs. He was hoping to see Axel standing there with three delicious sea-salt ice cream pops, but he did not. "Seriously, where is he?" he muttered.


	59. When Friendship Falls Apart

Chapter 59 – When Friendship Falls Apart

Xion was typically a pretty reasonable girl. She rarely ever jumped into conclusions unless there seemed to be no alternative. She wanted to believe that her friends were honest, even if the situation told otherwise. But as she and Roxas sat shivering against the wall of the clock tower, stomachs rumbling, she let go of that trait. "Axel deserted us," she mumbled dejectedly.

Roxas let out a sigh. A few minutes earlier, he had proposed that a higher rank member was holding Axel up, and that he would arrive soon. He had convinced Xion to give their friend ten more minutes, but as the minutes dragged on, he was starting to doubt the man himself. "Maybe he really doesn't care…" Seeing his girl's shivering increase, Roxas wrapped an arm around her. And just to be sweet, even though he wasn't feeling the best himself, he planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Roxas' compassionate gesture didn't seem to brighten Xion's spirits at all. She looked up into his eyes with a heartbreaking expression. "Roxas…you remember that dream I had a few nights ago?"Roxas nodded, returning the girl's sorrowful gaze. "Maybe it meant something…"

A look of surprise and confusion crossed number XIII's face. "Wh…what do you mean?" he asked.

Xion lowered her head and answered quietly, "Maybe Axel will betray us…"

Roxas felt something inside of him sting as she said those words. Axel had been Roxas' first friend; the man who taught him about life. And he was Xion's friend too. He couldn't just abandon them… "I really don't want to believe that," Roxas muttered at length. "But we don't seem to mean much to him anymore if he just skipped this ice cream event that he knew meant a lot to me. To us…" Everything was silent for a moment before he continued. "And I remember…before the Genie set everything right, Axel did betray you…and me as well, because you mean so much to me."

Xion nodded her head sullenly. "I remember that too," she informed. "It came back to me a while ago; I tried not to make much of it. But now…the way the events are playing out…" She was too distraught to continue, so she just left her sentence hanging.

At that moment, the large clock started to chime – 9:00. After one more growl from each of their stomachs, Roxas decided that they had waited long enough. He stood to his feet and helped number XIV up. "Come on, we've waiting long enough for him. Let's RTC and get some food."

* * *

Night had fallen over The World That Never Was, and a majority of the members had retired to their bedrooms. Axel, however, was not sprawled over his own mattress in his own room. Instead, he was curled up beside Larxene in her bed. Apparently Axel's boundaries for Roxas and Xion (also known as "NO SLEEPING TOGETHER!") didn't apply to Larxene and him. Rumor had it that he was old enough and mature enough to handle himself, but no one ever knows what can go on behind the scenes. However, Larxene was half asleep already, soothed by the presence of the pyro. There was one thing keeping Axel awake though – his dry throat. After thinking over the prospect of leaving a nice warm bed for a bit, he finally decided to just get up and ease his discomfort. He whispered to Larxene where he was going, earning a drowsy grumble from her. He then exited his room and headed for the kitchen.

The halls were barren and dark. The bedrooms happened to be located on the side of the castle that the party animals didn't go to, so silence reigned. The rec. room, bar, and other entertaining rooms were situated on the other side, so the night owls really had no need to go to the bedroom side, unless it was just to be an annoying drunk who wakes up everybody.

Axel stumbled around, trying to ward off the lethargy that wanted to overtake him. He kept thinking about how warm Larxene's bed was because it included her. His tired mind didn't wander in the direction of guiltiness that he was sure to feel when he realized how much he hurt his friends.

Finally the man arrived to his destination. As he fingered the doorknob, a harsh realization dawned upon him – he could have just transported! "Whatever…" he mumbled, and proceeded to enter.

His eyes blinked a few times when he entered the kitchen, trying to readjust to the light. The light was indeed on, and Roxas and Xion were sitting around the table in the middle of the room, eating cookie dough ice cream out of bowls. As soon as they saw him, their eyes narrowed and their chatter ceased.

"Hey guys," Axel greeted with a groggy wave. "What are you doing up?"

"Eating ice cream!" Roxas answered, his tone rough. "Because _someone_ didn't bother to show up and buy us some!"

"Even though this _someone_ promised us he would!" Xion added. One could easily tell how upset the two young Nobodies were by their words, tone, expressions, and posture. They were furious! Before Axel had entered, they had been just angry, but once the man didn't even recognize his mistake and apologize, their fury stepped up a notch.

At that instant, Axel's mind was woken up to reality. He _had_ stood Roxas and Xion up, and they were _angry_. "Oh gosh guys!" he exclaimed, trying to sound as sorry as he could. "It slipped my mind!"

But his excuse wasn't good enough for the two. "How could it just slip your mind when we had had a long discussion about it?" Roxas interrogated.

Axel rubbed the back of his head, trying to keep himself calm so he wouldn't snap. "Well I went to tell Larxene, but she was in a gloomy mood, so I had to stay to cheer her up!"

"You could have at least told us!" Xion barked, standing up.

Roxas joined her in standing, and soon the two found themselves slowly closing the gap between them and the guilty. "Yeah!" number XIII agreed. "Is that so hard to do?"

Axel felt his blood start to boil, but tried to keep his composure. "With all of Larxene's distress, I just simply forgot…"

"Well you should have gotten it memorized, you hypocrite!" Roxas hollered, his brow furrowed as much as it possibly could.

"You abandoned us, Axel!" Xion cried. There was both sorrow and anger in her voice.

That was it. Axel had had enough of these false accusations and name-calling. Time to take some action. No more mister nice guy. "Calm down, you two! You're acting totally irrational! It's just ice cream!"

Roxas and Xion stepped forward, getting even closer so that their yelling would shatter his eardrums. "It wasn't _just_ ice cream, Axel!" the blond boy defended. "It was a sign of our friendship!"

"Well Larxene's my girl, so I can't just abandon her!" Axel exclaimed, stepping closer as well. His volume hadn't yet matched theirs, but it was getting close.

"So Larxene means more to you than us?" Xion retorted. Number XIII and XIV hoped with everything in them that he wouldn't say yes in the second of silence it took him to answer.

But his answer wasn't yes or no. "Well you two care more about each other than you do about me!" he bellowed, fire in his eyes. _Now_ his volume matched theirs, or even exceeded it. Xion and Roxas were stunned by his sudden display of rage, so they didn't fire back a retort right away. This gave Axel more time to shout. "You two _always_ spend time with each other and rarely ever include me! I feel like the third wheel!"

Roxas didn't know how to reply to that, because in one sense it was true. So he just hugged Xion close to him and yelled defensively, "Don't yell at poor Xion like that! She's been through so much!"

"Oh, so she's the only one who's had it rough?" Axel rejoined with an attitude a parent would never approve of. "So we all have to be oh so gentle with her because she's so weak she can't even stand on her own?"

At that, tears started to form in Xion's eyes. Not only had Axel betrayed them, but he had turned into a monster! Roxas noticed that she was on verge of tears and only got angrier. "Now you're making her cry! You're an ogre!"

Roxas and Axel were now face to face, screaming at each other. "See? This proves how _weak_ she is!" was number VIII's response.

After insults were hurled back and force for a while, Axel finally let loose all of his fury. "That's it!" he roared. "I've had enough of you two! I wish the Genie never brought you back, Roxas and Xion!" Absolute silence followed.

Those words hurt. They hurt immensely. Xion couldn't keep her distress contained anymore, so she burst out in tears and ran for the other door. "Axel, you jerk!" Roxas snarled, and instantly followed his crying girl out of the kitchen.

The extreme change from deafening to silent was almost too much for Axel. He could hear his own breath as he panted. And all of his insides hurt. There seemed to be a giant hole in his chest that was eating him alive. "I…shouldn't have said that…" he whispered in regret. His throat being in more need for a drink than ever, he took a cup from the cupboard and stopped at the sink. As he turned the tap on and began to fill his cup, a small tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

It was strange that at this hour Luxord wasn't drunk on the floor. He was actually completely sober, as were the rest of the gentlemen in his card game.

Xigbar, Luxord, and Demyx sat around a card table in the recreation room. It was odd indeed that this was their game of choice for night time, because Xigbar and Luxord usually believed there were more 'useful' things to do. Demyx just tagged along and did whatever they did. But there was a reason they were all sober – Xigbar wanted some input from his readers.

Xigbar placed his cards down and dropped a large stack of magazines in the middle of the table. Luxord let out a groan because the game was interrupted, while Demyx wore an expression of curious excitement.

"Xigbar?" Demyx asked, hoping number II would explain his actions.

"So what do you guys think of the recent issues of _The Xigbar Daily_?" Xigbar inquired without delay. He picked up two of his latest editions and held them high for the other two men to see. The first one's cover read "Axel sets the boundaries" with a picture of a very distraught Roxas and Xion listening as Axel spoke. The other one had a cover that said "The facts of life revealed to 'innocent' Roxas" with a picture of Roxas' appalled face as Vexen explained things to him.

Luxord rolled his eyes. "You interrupted the game just for that?" he asked. "While I could either be winning all your money or haggling with Moogle over there?" He pointed to Moogle who was standing in the corner dressed in a shirt that said "I love munny" and a hat that said "kupo".

"Just answer the question!" Xigbar insisted, irritated.

"I think it's interesting," Luxord answered, rubbing his goatee. "Though everyone you feature is certainly taking quite a gamble in engaging in the activities they are."

"It's totally radical!" Demyx interjected with extreme enthusiasm. "But I do feel sorry for all the embarrassment poor Roxas and Xion are getting…"

Xigbar chuckled and shook his head. He was quite proud of all the embarrassment he had caused Roxas and Xion. He had some sadism in him – he loved watched those two suffer. "Silly Poppet and kiddo," he said in a chiding voice.

Luxord, becoming oddly impatient, shoved the magazines aside. "Let's continue with the game, gentlemen," he proposed, though it sounded more like an order.

The three Nobodies played for a while in silence. They were the only ones in the rec. room other than Moogle, and he only made squeaking noises now and then. Xigbar had many things on his mind, including the change Roxas and Xion had brought to Organization XIII. A change the Freeshooter wasn't happy with.

"You know, dudes…" Xigbar began, dealing the cards. "The love in this organization may make good gossip, but it's just not right…"

"I think it's cute!" Demyx chimed cheerfully.

Luxord glared at Demyx, and then looked over at Xigbar. "Well many of us don't share your view, Demyx," he spoke.

As Demyx looked back and force from Xigbar to Luxord, he could tell everything was getting too tense. Whatever happened to their carefree banter Demyx loved? Or did it even exist? To break the silence, Demyx faked a yawn. "Man, it's late…I'm tired." He also faked a stretch to add emphasis.

"Yeah," Xigbar agreed. "I better go off and collect more gossip."

So the three Nobodies went their separate ways – Demyx to take a bubble bath, Luxord to drink some late night tea, and Xigbar to snoop the halls upside down to see what he could pick up.


	60. To Trip Up a Replica

Chapter 60 – To Trip Up a Replica

With a loud sniffle, Xion dried the last of her tears on Roxas' night-tunic. She was currently using the boy's chest as a pillow, curled up next to him under the blankets of his bed. They honestly didn't care that they were disobeying Axel, because right now the Flurry of Dancing Flames was the enemy. Seeing that even though the tears had stopped flowing, the girl was still distressed, Roxas started to soothingly rub her back in a circular motion.

"Come on, Xion," he whispered. "You're stronger than that…" He knew that if he had said that in an ordinary tone, she would have taken offense, so he was careful to make sure his voice was as gentle as possible.

Xion buried her face deeper in the soft cloth of his shirt. "It's not that…" She paused to let out a frustrated sigh. "It's that our friendship is lost…"

Roxas nodded knowingly. He too, despite all his anger towards Axel, felt mournful that their friendship had ended. It had been such a strong trio for so long. Of course he wouldn't show his distress with tears like Xion did, because apparently real men didn't cry. Or at least that's what everyone told him. He remembered quite distinctly a time when Xigbar said "Kiddo, if you cry, that means you're a pansy." And obviously Roxas didn't want to be a pansy because he found flowers girly. He didn't understand the real meaning of 'pansy.' But that triggered a memory of when he did cry…when he lost Xion. Guess he was a flower after all.

"I understand…" Roxas breathed, burying his chin in her soft raven hair. He was so lost in the oceanic scent of her hair that it took him quite some time before he remembered something he wanted to tell her. "And you're not weak," he muttered, planting a kiss in her hair. "I'm sorry for treating you like a baby."

Xion pushed her nose through the hole in his shirt between the buttons, feeling the need to feel some of his skin. She gently planted a kiss on the exposed skin of his chest, making sure it was a kiss he could feel. "It's all right, Roxas," she told him. "I know you're just looking out for me." She smiled as the up-and-down movements of his chest became rapider.

A small smile crept across the boy's face, relieved that Xion wasn't offended in any way by how he treated her. His eyes then focused on his window, realizing how black the sky appeared. "Xion, it's late, we should try to get some sleep."

Xion shut her eyes securely closed, nuzzling her nose against his skin. The contact made Roxas let out a chuckle, for his skin was sensitive and quite ticklish. "Okay," she replied. "But I'm not agreeing to wake up tomorrow."

Roxas raised an eyebrow, a grin on his face. "Oh, and why is that?" he asked curiously.

Xion nuzzled him in response. "Because…" She paused to nuzzle him some more. "Your bed's too comfy."

"That's strange," Roxas observed. "My bed doesn't have _nearly_ as many blankets as yours does…"

At that, Xion wrapped her arms around his waist with a tight grip. "But it has you."

* * *

When Roxas awoke the next morning, the first thing he became aware of was Xion's presence – and how much of a cuddler she was. He had known this before, but with Xion pressed tightly against his body, clinging onto him firmly, it became more manifest. On the other hand, the same thing could be said about Roxas. His arms were wrapped around the girl, practically forcing the girl's head to remain against his chest. The two were tangled together in quite a nice blob under the checkered comforter.

After focusing on the gentle breaths of Xion for a while, the boy realized it was time to arise. He hated to wake her up from her adorably peaceful and comfortable state, but the organization's 'early rise' agenda forced him to. He carefully pulled her away from his chest, as not to startle her. He noticed a blissful smile adorning her face, indicating a good dream. He pressed his forehead up against hers and whispered close to her lips, "Good morning."

Xion was pleasantly awakened by the sensation of Roxas' light breath tickling her lips. However, when she comprehended what time it was, her pleasant mood went south. She pulled the blanket over her head – also causing Roxas to be covered – and mumbled, "No. No good morning. Bad morning." She then clung onto a bundle of blankets, fearing that Roxas might try to pry her away from her heavenly cloud.

Roxas chuckled at her reaction. She definitely wasn't a morning person. He remembered when she used to have _great_ morning habits and was always chipper and excited. But he figured that after months of the same monotonous routine, she got tired of it. It wasn't exciting anymore – it was dreadful. "Come on, Xion." He nudged her nose with his. "You have to get up..."

Xion shook her head stubbornly. "No. I have nothing to look forward to. Being commanded by slave-driver Saix, doing an incredibly difficult and pointless mission, receiving cold glares from Axel…"

"Well that's not very optimistic thinking," he summed up.

"I'm just being realistic, Roxas," the girl answered dismally. Yep, definitely not cheerful in the morning anymore. Well, after all she had been through, not many could blame her.

Roxas gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Under the shade of the blanket, he could still see her sour expression change slightly. "What about spending time with me? You get to do that today. Am I boring too?"

Xion's eyes locked on his, studying his expression carefully. He looked…hurt. But how could he think that Xion didn't love him? He was all she ever thought about! She wish he'd stop with that rejected puppy look. "Of course not," she replied in a firm manner, latching onto him snugly. "I love you. I just don't see why I should get up and endure all that other crud when I can spend a wonderful time with you now."

Roxas' lips curved into a grin and he returned the embrace Xion was firmly executing. "Because if Xigbar finds us, he'll start a whole new chain of gossip."

Xion sighed heavily. He did have a point there. She hated when he made smart lines of reasoning like that. "Okay, fine…"

Number XIII, too, let out a sigh. He never liked making Xion unhappy, even if it was for her own good. "I'm sorry, Xion. But you know following Organization XIII's orders is in our relationship's best interest."

Another intelligent observation by mastermind Roxas. At this point, Xion was ready to give in completely. She planted a feathery kiss on his chest, even though his tunic prevented him from feeling it. "Okay. I'll do anything to stay with you, Roxas."

* * *

The two had been fortunate not to cross paths with Axel on their way to the Grey Room, but when they arrived it was a whole different story. Axel was present and shot them a cold glare over his shoulder before entering the dark corridor. A split second after that occurred, Roxas became aware of Xigbar, who was seated on one of the couches, scribbling sometime down on a notepad. The boy silently cursed the old man for always being on top of things. His body also tensed up in reaction, which did not go unnoticed to Xion. She placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "Roxas, are you okay?"

Roxas immediately felt warmer inside on account of Xion's caring touch. He turned to her and pulled on his best smile. "Yep, I'm fine! And Axel's just a douche, we don't need him."

Xion felt a prick in her chest at the mention of Axel, but she just nodded wordlessly, not wanting to emotionally break down in front of all the influential Nobodies.

The couple walked up to Saix to get their missions after realizing that he hadn't noticed them, and thus would not deliver their missions personally. Saix barely took note of them, only glancing at them briefly over his clipboard as he handed out the slips of paper.

As soon as Roxas saw the first word on the paper, he knew he wouldn't like it. 'Solo'. With a sigh, he pulled Xion to the side so Saix wouldn't hear them carp, and started to read his assigned mission aloud.

"Solo mission in Neverland, defeat 7 giant Heartless."

Xion's neutral expression immediately turned into a frown. Not only was Roxas not paired with her, but he got to go to Neverland and fly without her again. She doubted she would _ever_ get a chance to fly.

Roxas looked up into her dismal eyes knowingly. "I know, Xi. But this is just for today!" He faked another smile, making the imitation smile count for the day raise to two. "Besides, your mission's probably better! Like something fun with um…" He tried to think of an organization member who _didn't_ hate them. "Demyx!" Not that completing the entire load single-handedly was fun…

When Xion's eyes fell to the paper, the news wasn't any happier. "Solo mission in Wonderland, defeat the giant Heartless," she read drably.

Even though hers wasn't a big improvement, Roxas tried to look on the bright side. He was uncharacteristically trying to stay positive. Since Axel had been the optimist in the friendship and was now gone, Roxas felt that it was his responsibility to care for Xion's spirits. "Hey, at least you only have to kill one by yourself. I have to kill seven! Do they think I'm expendable?"

Because Roxas had a smirk on his face, Xion smiled as well. "Be careful out there, Roxy," she said thoughtfully. She took his hands in hers and swayed them slightly.

"You don't need to worry," Roxas assured her. "I'll be as cautious as possible." He was about to pull her in for a tender goodbye kiss when Axel's words floated through his mind.

"_Don't display affection in front of Saix, because you know it disgusts him."_

Even though Axel wasn't considered 'friend' to them anymore, Roxas had to admit that was pretty sound advice. So instead, he ruffled her hair playfully yet affectionately.

Something about Roxas' sanguinity caused Xion's mood to improve as well. "Meet me in my room after your mission for some computer games," she told him, a bright grin on her face.

"Sounds like a good plan," Roxas affirmed.

The loving smile on Roxas' attractive face made Xion wish she didn't have to leave. Granted, she was with Roxas for a great percent of the day, and had gazed at that face many a time, but there was something about him today that made him _extra_ eye-catching. She forced herself to turn around and open a dark corridor; though she did not exit until she had looked over her shoulder at him one last time.

Roxas noticed Xion's reluctance to leave and understood fully how she felt. Half of him wanted to dash into the closing portal and take her in his arms and never let her go. But he had a feeling that this attachment to Xion was _too_ unhealthy. He didn't understand why he felt this way, because he also thought that if you love someone you should be with them all the time. The mixed emotions and cluelessness of a Nobody was causing quite a conflict in his brain. But he pushed it aside when the paper in his hand became evident again. He reread it a few times before deciding to ask Saix why he had given him that particular mission. However, another careful examination of the mission slip answered his question. In tiny irritating Comic Sans font on the back, it said, "I know you are going to gripe about this and question my infinite wisdom, infant. So here is the answer to your question: 7 powerful Heartless have surfaced in Neverland that need to be taken care of immediately. A giant Heartless has also surfaced in Wonderland. I cannot send you two on the same mission because that would be a waste of time and supplies."

"Great, now we're supplies," Roxas muttered, shoving the piece of paper into his pocket. He then shook off his resentment towards Saix and crossed the room, headed for the Moogle. He had made the mistake of being potionless previously, and this time there was going to be no Axel. And it seemed like there wouldn't be an Axel to get him out of trouble ever again. "Whatever, I don't need him," he grumbled. Axel was one thing he _couldn't_ be optimistic about. But he didn't want to dwell on the redhead's actions anymore so he dropped the subject in his mind. That allowed him to look up and see that he wasn't first in line for the Moogle shop.

"Give me three Mega-Potions, Moogle dude." Roxas could tell right away who it was, even without looking up to discover that the Nobody had a long black and white ponytail. Xigbar.

Moogle started fishing through his inventory, attempting to retrieve the items Xigbar requested. "Don't call me dude, kupo."

Xigbar smirked, a devious plan forming in his mind. "Well then don't call me kupo, dude," he replied mischievously, flicking Moogle's pompom.

Oh no. He did _not_ just do that. It's totally violating! Moogle's white face turned crimson red in anger. "Do not touch the pompom, kupo!" the little creature exclaimed. Seeing how much it frustrated Moogle just made Xigbar want to do it more, however. He was about to repeat the action when Moogle spoke up. "If you do that again you won't be eligible to buy this super rare item I have."

That caught Xigbar's attention. Was the super rare item a special invisible camera he could use to embarrass Roxas and Xion even more? Or could it be a spectacular new weapon? He was only one restraint away from finding out. "Oh, really?" he asked curiously, drawing his hand back. "What super rare item?"

Moogle glanced around a few times to make sure no one was in ear shot. He obviously didn't notice Roxas because the large Nobody was blocking him. Xigbar, too, was strangely unaware of the boy's presence. Once Moogle felt secure enough, he took out a small white whistle from his inventory. "This!" he declared in a whisper. The whistled shined dimly in the rays reflecting off Kingdom Hearts.

Xigbar wrinkled his nose, more than slightly unimpressed by the 'rare' item. He wondered what was so extraordinary about it, accounting for the fact that it wasn't some stunning weapon or made from precious metal. "And what is so rare about this?" he pressed.

The Moogle lowered his voice even more, forcing Xigbar to lean in to hear him. "It's called a Heartless whistle," he explained. "Legend says that it makes a loud high-pitch sound un-hearable to most creatures – expect Heartless. They say Heartless are _terrified _of it!"

The Freeshooter shook his head, causing his ponytail to sway back and force, whacking Roxas in the face. The boy stifled a grunt. Xigbar still didn't notice Roxas' presence and continued his conversation with the Moogle. "And why would we want to scare away Heartless? Organization XIII's goal is to collect Hearts, which involves killing Heartless! I don't know about you, but for me it's harder to kill a fleeing target, d-" He cringed, stopping himself from saying dude. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do because it had been a habit for him ever since Braig-hood. He silently cursed the Moogle for trying to take away a little bit of his personality.

"Yes, but haven't you ever been in a situation where Heartless surrounded you? Where they almost killed you, k-" He muttered something inaudible under his breath, obviously upset about not being allowed to say kupo.

Xigbar stroked his square chin for a moment, pondering the aspect. "Not really," he answered. "But this thing might prove itself useful one day. How much do you want for it?"

"33,333 munny," Moogle answered simply.

Xigbar gasped, appalled at the high price. It _was_ just a small whistle after all. "That's highway robbery!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at the little white creature. But Moogle shook his head and made a 'pay up' gesture with his hand. Number II let out a frustrated sigh and slumped his shoulders. "You're worse than Luxord," he muttered bitterly, fishing through his munny bag. Once he had produced the right amount, he reluctantly relinquished it and grudgingly shoved the whistle in his pocket.

Once Xigbar was gone, Roxas came into Moogle's sight. "Oh, hey there, kupo," he greeted, letting out a sigh of relief that he was finally able to say kupo again.

* * *

Xion was very relieved to discover a small portion of grass fenced off with bushes on all four sides. As sticks stabbed her to no end, she crawled out of a hedge and flopped down onto the grass. The soft wet lawn was a much welcomed relief to her injured skin. She removed a few twigs from her hair and stretched her limbs, trying to ignore the little stinging cuts. The card soldiers had been more than on top of their game today, so there was really no alternative. The poor girl had to rough her way through the bushes, completely blind to where her destination was. She was fortunate to have found a safe strip of grass to recuperate. While she was catching her breath, she couldn't keep her mind off what it would be like if Roxas was right there beside her. He would be hugging her, comforting her, encouraging her, and tending to her wounds. And she wouldn't be on the edge of a giant solo fight. But, of course, she couldn't be _that_ fortunate.

Once she was feeling well enough, she got on her feet and continued. She had to crouch down low to the ground as she peeked through the bushes, scanning the surroundings for any escape route. Her face lit up when she noticed that there was a hole in a very large bush nearby, probably leading out of the rose garden. Mustering up her guts, she rapidly charged through the bushes and ducked into the hole before any soldier could catch her.

However, upon her arrival on the barren piece of green, her target materialized. The Giant Heartless was none other than a humongous version of the Lurk Lizard. Xion immediately summoned her keyblade, entering into battle mode.

It seemed like an hour-long raging battle to Xion's aching muscles, but in reality it only took her about ten minutes to get the Lurk Lizard on its last leg. Her breath grew heavier as she dodged a weak slap of the Heartless' tail. Despite her soreness, she was surprisingly in good condition; not even near her limit break.

What Xion didn't know, however, was that she and the Heartless weren't alone. In the very corner of the grassy battle field, crouched in the coverage of a hedge, was Xigbar. None really know _why_ he was there and how long he had been following the girl. And not a soul could guess why he wore an impish grin, fingering his pocket lightly. However, it was all to become clear very soon. The giant Lurk Lizard's health gauge was at its very lowest, and Xion was preparing another powerful attack. Something inside of Heartless drove them to attack, so excluding the Deserters, they all fought until death.

A few moments later, Xion froze in mid swing, stunned. Was it her imagination, or was the Lurk Lizard retreating? She knew it defied the Heartless Code of Law, and she couldn't understand what was happening. "Oh no you don't!" Acting fast, she started pursuing the bounding reptile. However, as soon as the Lurk Lizard spotted Xion charging toward it with her keyblade, it blended in with its surroundings and completely disappeared. Xion was forced to stop her pursuit and accept defeat. The Heartless was gone.

Xigbar's impish grin widened into an all-out devilish smirk as he put the Heartless whistle back in his pocket. "That should do the trick," he said under his breath. He was quite proud of the scheme he had just accomplished. "Silly little replica."

Number XIV let out a discouraged sigh and dismissed her keyblade. "It got away," she muttered aloud. Usually when she was alone, rather than keeping her thoughts in, she would let them out. Hearing herself actually say what was on her mind, even if no one else heard, was somewhat of a comfort to her. And with the way she was bummed out currently, she could use any comfort she could get. "After I worked _so _hard and almost killed it, it just left! I don't understand!" Her disappointment was now converted into anger. Too much had piled onto her plate, just too much. She kicked a patch of grass up in aggravation. "Now Saix and the others will scold me for not completing my mission, but it's not my fault! How am I supposed to find something _invisible_?"

After a long discussion between herself about how unfair her authorities were, she decided to just RTC and brace herself for what was to come.

* * *

Roxas' keyblade vanished from his hand as he slumped over, entirely out of breath. That last Heartless he just fought, the Powered Armor, really wiped him out. But it was not as crucial as the damages from the Leechgrave battle, of course. He just felt _very _fatigued. Struggling over to a leaning palm tree, he managed to sit down, figuring the seated position would cause the recovery process to accelerate. He did not dare move to a more comfortable-looking palm tree located a ways away, afraid that another Heartless would jump out before he was ready.

"Do they think I'm immortal?" Roxas asked himself once his panting let up. "Seven giant Heartless? I'm almost dead and I've only defeated six!" With a frustrated and exhausted sigh, he swiped his hand across his forehead, collecting the gross sticky sweat on his glove.

All that could be heard in Neverland was the Nobody's loud breathing, the sound of the surf, and seagulls squawking. Everything else was silent. It was a windless day, so not even the palm fronds could be heard. Unfortunately for Roxas, Tinkerbell hadn't been around to give him magical flying powers; he had to climb the cliffs himself to reach the Heartless. And he wasn't looking forward to combing the miniscule parts of the island he hadn't checked to find his target.

After several more long minutes of convalescence, Roxas decided he felt strong enough to finish the task. He slowly and carefully started to stand up, just in case his muscles were tender. Then, practically out of nowhere, a loud voice echoed through his head.

"_Roxas…"_

Roxas immediately pinpointed the owner of the voice – Xion. But why did it come to him? True, he thought about the girl a lot and had many wonderful memories of her, but she hadn't even been on his mind while he was recuperating! And why did the voice sound so crisp, so clear? Why did it sound like she was actually tangibly there? Naturally his first reaction was to turn his head around rapidly, scanning the premises for his girl. Finding no trace of her left him disappointed and utterly perplexed. "I…I'm probably just hearing things," he concluded. He didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it, taking into account the time he had lost already by resting. If he _really_ wanted the organization gurus to be proud of him, he had to complete his mission promptly and thoroughly. He truthfully felt like they were expecting too much of him, though. He was only a fifteen year old kid with a key and no heart, stuffed into an organization crawling with creepy old men!

Attempting to forget about the voice, he started to place one foot in front of the other. If it was just nothing, something to shrug off, then why did he feel so reluctant to overlook it? Something inside him told him it was important. Maybe Xion needed him…

After looking down a few times at the keyblade he produced, and after many tries at starting up his walk again, he finally succumbed to his insides. "Something _is_ wrong!" he declared, stashing away his keyblade. He opened a dark corridor a few feet in front of him and dashed towards it.

* * *

Subsequent to shutting her bedroom door and turning on her laptop, Xion flopped down onto her bed with a heavy breath. She longed for Roxas to enter the room with that adorably confident smile he occasionally wore so they could start playing computer games and she could get her mind off the previous events. But, alas, he was still out on the mission field, leaving her alone to her thoughts. The scene of the Lurk Lizard bounding away and disappearing, leaving her mission gauge totally empty, replayed time and time again in her mind. If that had happened to any other member, even Roxas, authorities would believe the story. But no, not her. She was already on shaky terms with the organization, being a replica who distracted Roxas from collecting Hearts with 'fake' love. Xemnas _had_ only allowed their love to continue as long as their records did not drop. But this event was sure to make a permanent mark on her record. She knew this, and dreaded the moment Saix or Xemnas would discover it. Feeling a need to secrete, she lifted up her pillow, laid her face under it, and replaced it on top of her head. Maybe that would hide her from all her misfortune.

Not too long after she covered her head, the door opened. Terribly excited that her Roxas had finally arrived to keep her company, Xion immediately sat up, knocking the pillow off her bed. "Roxas!" she cried joyfully as she turned to face the door. However, her face instantly fell when she laid eyes on the enterer.

"Afraid not, Poppet." His overused nickname for her. His annoying Californian accent. His evil grin that sent unpleasant chills down her spine. It could be none other than Xigbar.

Xion instantaneously stiffened up and got into a more modest seated position, making sure he couldn't see up her coat (even though she did have pants underneath). Something about the old man made her uncomfortable. "If you've come to spy on me and Roxas, you're too early. Roxas hasn't arrived yet," she told him.

It was a reasonable assumption, despite the fact that Xigbar had neither a camera nor notepad with him. And if he wanted to spy he wouldn't just walk through the front door – that would be absolutely brainless. Something Demyx would do. "Nope, Poppet, I've come lookin' for you," Xigbar answered, the smirk on his face widening. Why did he always look so _evil_?

"Oh…" Xion replied, not quite sure what to make of it. It was his expression that was bothering her. "Well go away, I'm in no mood to talk." She criss-crossed her legs and pulled her feet closer to her body, not wanting any part of her to be close to the man approaching the foot of her bed.

"That's no way to talk to your elder," Xigbar reprimanded, his smirk ever present.

"Sorry, grandpa," Xion muttered. The only time she usually smart-mouthed someone was when they really ticked her off – and this was one of the cases. Xigbar was always waiting for her or Roxas to slip up, always taunting them, and always planning some underhanded scheme behind their backs. If was hard for her to even _fake_ respect for a person like that.

Xigbar continued walking forward until he was adjacent to the foot of her bed. He casually rested his hand on it and spoke. "I've got no time for rambling, Poppet. I've come here to tell you…I've been a fool."

If Xigbar said he had no time for rambling, why was he presently engaged in it? As every second passed, Xion was growing more and more irritated of his presence. She would rather be still unsuccessfully chasing the Lurk Lizard than having _any_ conversation with this creep! She pulled up her knees close to her body and rested her chin on them. "What else is new?" she responded dryly.

Xigbar remained unaffected by her sarcasm and continued. "I really shouldn't have allowed that dope Demyx to persuade me to defend you against Namine's incredible mind-scrambling power."

That brought back to mind an instance Xion hadn't thought about for a while – the time Marluxia commanded Namine to erase Roxas and her memories. The White Witch had been close to doing it if it wasn't for all the Nobodies who stood up. She surprisingly owed some of her Roxas-joy to Xigbar of all people. But it was no surprise that Xigbar was regretting it. "You were actually semi-okay back then," number XIV mumbled.

The Freeshooter wasn't pleased with Xion's insulting sarcastic attitude. He seemed to remember always making her shutter in fear or flee for her life. But maybe his 'awesome' power had always been in his mind; though he would dare not think it was. "It was in the best interest of my magazine, I guess. If I didn't get enough juice, people would stop buying it and I would be out of business. 'Cause no one would want to read about a bland organization. I was kind of _glad_ you two thought you could feel emotion."

Xion wanted to argue with him, insisting that her love for Roxas wasn't just a thought. But after much experience, she learned that kind of thing was really no use. Most of the members were just so narrow-minded and stuck in their way of thinking that no one could penetrate the walls they had built up. So she just stayed quiet (of course not without glaring) and let the rambler go on.

"But now…" he took one step closer, shaking his head. "I realize how utterly _stupid_ that was. Emotions have no business in this organization…you and Roxas have gone too far."

Instead of cowering and remaining in silence, something inside Xion told her to challenge Xigbar. Maybe it was because the Lurk Lizard incident had already gotten her so worked up. "Oh, really? How have Roxas and I gone too far?" she pressed.

Xigbar's grin widened yet another time, pleased that she sounded agitated. "You have spread your _silly_ ideas to Axel and Larxene, Poppet. Not to mention Demyx, but he was never too bright to begin with," he explained.

Xion heaved a sigh. She felt that now was the time to start trying to explain herself, even though she knew Xigbar wouldn't listen. "Roxas and I can't help loving each other. It's like something was put in us, and now we just can't stop! We can't fall out of love! We-" She was on the verge of entering a passionate speech when Xigbar interrupted.

"Is that why you and kiddo have been doin' inappropriate things?" he asked lazily.

Xion became so motionless that even her blinking stopped. How did he know about that? Did Axel tell him? That _was_ a possibility since he betrayed them once already. Her best option was to pretend to be oblivious so either he would drop the subject or explain in further detail what inappropriate deeds they had done. "Inappropriate?" she repeated, trying to sound as naive as possible. "Sweet innocent little Roxy?"

"Yup," Xigbar answered almost instantly, throwing in a little nod. "Sweet innocent little Roxy had a _boner_!" He couldn't help but release a few chuckles after that thought. Roxas just seemed too _Roxas_ to have things get out of hand. But the gossip king was pleased that they did, of course.

The girl's face turned noticeably redder, triggering a few memories she'd rather not recall at the moment. "I-it wasn't his fault…he didn't know any better…" she stuttered.

Noticing Xion's embarrassment, Xigbar felt swollen with pride. He hadn't lost his magic touch after all – Xion was starting to weaken! And he knew his next few actions would utterly confound her. "What does Roxas see in you anyways?" He closed the gap between them in such a subtle manner that Xion didn't even notice until it was too late. He stood right beside where she sat on the bed, and leaned in closer to her face. "I'll never know." He took his hand and cupped it around her chin, forcing her to look at him. The way his voice lowered totally freaked her out. What was up with him?

Xion tried to shake her head to loosen his hold; but that proved unsuccessful. His golden eye was focused solely on her ocean blue eyes, penetrating into her soul. The evil expression on his face turned her from a defensive Nobody into a deer in the headlights. Xigbar had never acted _this_ creepy before, so she had no idea what to do! She felt a cold chill crawl up and down her spine as he stayed silent for a moment, almost hypnotizing her.

Before she knew what was happening, she found Xigbar's hand placed on her hip. "You're quite scrawny…" he commented, looking her over. But the slick tone of his voice did not change. "And your figure's worse than Larxene's…"

Even though her coat kept it from reaching her skin, Xigbar's touch sent shivers throughout the girl's whole body. Startled by it, she glanced away, which enabled her to finally get a sentence out. "H-he doesn't love me for my body…!" She violently whipped her head away, causing him to release her chin.

But he did not give up. He grabbed the tip of her chin and _forced_ her to look at him. "Xion…" he spoke, his voice dripping with poison. He actually used her name instead of Poppet; this frightened her. She started to shake under his deadly gaze. "You know that's not true." The man had finished in a whisper, causing everything to fall silent.

But the moment of silence was short-lived. Suddenly, Xigbar hoisted Xion up and violently pinned her petite form against the wall. It happened in only a matter of seconds that it was all a blur to poor Xion. The room had started spinning and BANG. The pain shooting through her spinal cord was so harsh that she let out a yelp. But what was worse was that she was completely helpless – Xigbar had her wrists in captivity and her two feet locked tightly in between his ankles. When she recognized that she was now at his absolute disposal, she gazed at him in fear and started quivering. All she could manage to choke out was a faint "L-let me go…"

Xion's reaction amused Xigbar immensely. He had broken her spirits with his gaze and shady words that now she wasn't even struggling! It gave him an exceedingly powerful feeling to have that helpless creature pinned against the wall that way. "You, my little replica, are about to become my toy," he whispered in a venomous tone. When the man started to lean in, Xion could tell she was in trouble. She turned her head and strained to get away, but his grip was too strong. And her head could only turn so far when against the wall. Her struggles proved to be utterly useless because his face just kept getting closer. _What_ in the world was even happening?

Closer and closer Xigbar's mouth crept towards hers. She was soon at a point where she couldn't turn away any further. There was only one thing left to do – give up. He had trapped her; there was nothing else she could do. Xigbar's strange behavior was so alarming, disturbing, and confusing that she couldn't even begin to think up an explanation. All she knew was that she was about to be kissed and who knows what else by an old pedophilic man who hated her guts. She squeezed her eyes tight, not wanting to view anymore.

However, after a painfully long second, a sound caused her eyes to burst open. Her bedroom door practically flew off its hinges as it slammed open, creating a very loud squeak. Xion's eyes instantly lit up when the enterer came into view. "Roxas!" she whimpered.

It all became clear to Roxas as to why he had heard her voice. He was totally shocked when he saw the situation. His girl was pinned helpless against the wall by a total _creep_ and the old man was about to lock lips with her! That could _not_ happen! Only his lips were allowed to touch Xion's, and nobody else's! Seeing this sight filled him with such rage and adrenalin that he zipped forward and, mustering up every ounce of strength within him, forcibly thrust Xigbar off of her just in time. "Leave my Xion alone!" he shouted. Even in all his anger, his strength surprised him. Xigbar was _much_ older and heavier than he was, yet he was able to uproot him. As soon as number II was out of the way, Xion collapsed into her rescuer's arms, exhausted from the traumatic experience.

As Xigbar got up slowly to his knees and then to his feet, a smirk he still wore. That baffled Roxas and Xion entirely. He had just lost the battle that he was peculiarly participating in, so why weren't his spirits dampened? Why did it look like he was the winner? Roxas' glare was filled with hate as he stared at the Freeshooter. "What. The. Heck. Xigbar!"

Xigbar's response made as just amount of sense as the whole affair. He shook his head, making tsk tsk noises. "Silly little things," he chided.

Roxas' eyebrow rose as he carefully studied Xigbar's face, trying to make some light of _anything_. It seemed like everything about him was a puzzle. Xigbar obviously knew something they didn't.

"Why did you do that?" Roxas growled, hugging Xion close to him in a protective manner.

Xigbar just winked his good eye in response. "Wouldn't you like to know…" he taunted. He turned to the door and started to head towards it.

Xigbar's lack of response boiled Roxas' blood. "Xigbar!" he demanded.

But Xigbar, as always, remained cool and ignored his hostility. He did turn around, but not to give Roxas the explanation he insisted upon. "Oh, and Xion?" Xion looked up grudgingly to meet his gaze, now over her fear of him. Xigbar's poison smile returned as he spoke his last words. "Don't think I didn't see you butcher your mission."


	61. Annihilate

Chapter 61 – Annihilate

Xion was buried in the sheets of her bed, closely meshed into Roxas' arms. Her face was buried in his chest again, it seeming to be quite her favorite position when distressed. Roxas had his chin rested atop her head while his comforting hand massaged her back in a circular motion. Even though she was again in need of comforting before twenty-four hours had even passed, he didn't feel any resentment towards her. No, all his negative feelings were directed towards one person now. And it wasn't Axel this time.

"I can't believe Xigbar!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth.

The tension in his voice undid any soothing work his hand had done to her back. She stiffened up again at the mention of his name. She had finally stopped shaking from the traumatizing experience, though the scenes could not stop replaying themselves in her mind. Even after trying to think of many different topics from giant Moogles to a Marluxia-styled keyblade, her mind always wandered back to the old maniac.

"This is just _too_ low!" Roxas continued, hostility still present in his voice. "Too low for even _Xigbar_! He hates you, why would he do anything like this to you?"

Roxas was asking questions that no one present would actually have an answer for. The only possible reason they could come up with was that he was drunk. But Xion didn't recall the scent of alcohol on his breath.

"He's disgusting…" Xion mumbled in response, only barely audible against his chest. Well that was an understatement.

Roxas sighed in frustration, a feeling of helplessness washing over him. "Tomorrow I'll avenge you, Xion. I'll seek him out and I'll _kill_ him!" But he knew that no matter how much he wanted to dispose of the man who had brought him and Xion such mental and emotional trauma, he was unable. And what Xion said next explained why.

The recovering girl lifted her head and locked onto his gaze. "Roxas, you can't…" she said disappointedly. But there was also a tone of care in her voice. "If you do that…who knows what consequences there will be…"

Roxas pursed his lips into a thin line, understanding Xion completely. The organization wouldn't approve of a murder of another member unless it was to protect the organization. He could say that his act was protecting the organization from an insane pedophile, but he doubted anyone would even believe this happened. Xigbar was older than him, so _of course_ he was always telling the truth. The boy let out a perturbed sigh. "Yeah, I know…But I think I should inform Xemnas. He probably won't care, but there's a possibility he might do something."

Xion nodded. Albeit Roxas loved her and cared for her, she still couldn't help being apprehensive. What if another situation like that was to arise, where he completely hypnotized her and Roxas wasn't there to rescue her? Even after she recovered from the attempt, she would have that to consider.

Roxas could tell by her silence that she still hadn't healed emotionally. He understood, though; he hadn't fully recovered either, and he wasn't even the victim. But all that was within his power that night to comfort her was to hug her and tell her how much he loved her. "Xigbar's actions are inexcusable. They're even worse than what happened at that movie theater. And this time, _for sure_, there will be vengeance. He's caused us too much tension to be put by the wayside." Xion just responded with a muffled mumble, not sounding too cheered up. The boy gently brought her chin up so he could gaze into her beautiful blue marbles of dampened light. "And don't you worry your pretty little head. I will make sure that _no one_ touches you!"

Xion was able to get in a soft 'thank you' before she was pulled into an affectionate kiss.

The room was still and soundless for a while, the two Nobodies both trying to blank out their minds so they could finally get some sleep. But when something's laid heavy on your mind, putting it aside does not come easy. Through all his swirling thoughts, one in particular came to mind that worried Roxas. "Xion?" he whispered cautiously, just in case if she had drifted into slumber.

"Mmnfg?" was Xion's drowsy reply. It appeared that she had finally reached the road to sleep, and he hated to interrupt her journey, but he really needed an answer.

"What did Xigbar mean when he said he saw you butcher your mission?" Roxas asked, his voice mixed with curiosity and dread.

The path to slumber was immediately abandoned. Xion sat up so abruptly that it made Roxas jump. Soon he too found himself resting his back against the headboard. "Oh no!" Xion cried out.

Roxas was quick to retaliate. "What?" he asked urgently.

The familiar scene of the Lurk Lizard's escape replayed for Xion mentally. A horrible feeling of impending doom crept over her, causing her stomach to drop. She spoke slowly, stuttering on her words. "I-I…my mission…the giant Heartless es-escaped…Roxas, do you know what this means?" The blood was rushing through her veins rapidly and her forehead started emitting sweat.

"What?" Roxas shouted back, matching her tone. Out of instinct he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, afraid that she was in some physical pain. He waited the excruciatingly long second in agony.

"I am in _big _trouble!" she answered, finishing with a pant. Her muscles went limp and her shoulders slumped; her arms just hung there weakly as she looked downwards. Her fear had become reality and she couldn't begin to describe how terrible it felt. It was just like when they had been in trouble before, and when Axel and Larxene had been in danger: waiting on the edge of something inescapable. It then dawned upon her that all those instances had one thing in common – they were started by Xigbar. She suddenly had an epiphany – Xigbar's indefinable attempt must be connect to this! But she was too distracted by the deep water she was in to mention that. "X-Xigbar saw me mess up my mission…my performance record has dropped! He'll tell the superior and our relationship will be over!" At that moment, she felt tears start to well up in her eyes. She just couldn't bear the thought of being without her Roxas.

Roxas shared the same feelings after hearing all this. Even though 'real men don't cry', he was on the verge of tears. "No…no! It can't be…I won't give you up! Never!" Feeling very possessive, he captured her in an embrace and planned to never let go. "I _hate_ Xigbar! I hate him!"

Xion pressed her face up against his chest and let the tears flow, soaking his shirt. But it didn't matter, in view of the fact that he was soaking her hair with his tears. They both wracked their brains for a way to avoid what was imminent, but could not come up with anything. In the midst of all the chaos, sleep somehow found a way to take them.

* * *

Xigbar strode down the deserted hallways of the castle, all too proud of himself. His master plan had only one more phase before it was successfully completed, and he was certain it would succeed. Taking into account that he was the only one around, the Freeshooter started praising himself aloud. "Beautiful, just beautiful. Xion and Roxas fell for it! Their faces were priceless! I kinda wish I had my camera…" But then the smirk on his face enlarged. "Not that there's any need. Because whatever happens to _The Xigbar Daily_, I don't care. This is too worth it." He paused his walking for a moment, considering something. "Ick, but I can't believe I came close to kissing _Poppet_!" he exclaimed in disgust. "I'm glad Roxas did show up. I freaked the replica out without putting myself through any trauma. What kiddo sees in her, I _really_ don't know…" Another snicker then escaped his mouth; it was impossible for him to forget. "But she fell for it! Boy, she'll have one rotten last memory…"

Laughter gurgled from his throat as he continued his strive – towards Xemnas' office. Xion's reaction to his ploy kept reshowing in his mind, simply causing the effect of an abundant amount of laughter. He especially enjoyed the fact that she actually believed the whole thing and was now scarred for life! "I should win the Academy Award for my great acting!" he boasted, though no one was there to listen. Not that it made a difference, because he spent many hours boasting to himself daily.

After not too many more steps, Xigbar arrived at Xemnas' door. As he lifted his hand to knock – for respecting the superior was a mandatory rule – he muttered in satisfaction, "And now…with Xion and Roxas both shook up from the event, there's no way they'll be able to retaliate to what's about to come…" With that, his knuckle hit the steel door. Xigbar had to wait but a moment until the door was opened, revealing Xemnas.

Xemnas didn't wear any expression on his face as he acknowledged Xigbar. "Oh, number II. Do you wish to speak with me?" he inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Xigbar answered, unable to remove the smirk from his face. He eagerly anticipated his meeting with the superior.

"All right; come in," responded Xemnas. He left the door way and retreated back into his office, granting Xigbar entrance. As soon as the Freeshooter entered the room, he was elated to find that there was a factor that would increase his probability of success: Saix. He was well aware of Saix's disgust towards Roxas and Xion.

As Xemnas took a seat behind his large desk, Xigbar found an empty chair located next to the one Saix occupied. Realizing that it was the respectful thing to do, he asked, "Superior, was I interrupting anything?"

Xemnas shook his head in response. "No, my conference with Saix has just ended. Would you rather have number VII leave?" he asked, thinking that was the reason for Xigbar's inquiry.

"Nahhhh," was Xigbar reply. "I'm sure he'd want to hear this to, since he may be a part of the decision making." He _wanted_ Saix to be a part of the decision making, knowing he would show no mercy towards their little puppet.

Xemnas nodded towards Saix, which Saix responded with a nod. They then both turned their eyes towards Xigbar, waiting for him to speak. Once the Freeshooter knew that all attention was given to him, he began. "Have you two seen number XIV's most recent performance record?"

"Yes," Xemnas responded. "Saix and I were just discussing that."

It pleased Xigbar to hear that Xemnas and Saix were already knowledgeable of Xion's faults, and hoped all the things they said about her were negative.

Saix decided to add his two cents to the conversation. "She totally deserted her mission. It is inexcusable."

Xigbar definitely liked where this discussion was going, even though he guessed Saix would say something like that. But he was now on the same page as Saix. He, too, was fed up with all the 'emotion' in Organization XIII. So he continued his point further. "And I hope you are also aware of Roxas' recent mission report."

Xemnas nodded in confirmation. "We are aware. He left his unfinished as well." His tone was emotionless, contrasting Saix's which bore a hint of irritation.

"Now, men," Xigbar began slowly to add dramatic effect. "Do you really think that two lovers both shirking their duties on the same day at the same time is a coincidence?"

This time Saix was the first to answer, eager to voice his harsh opinion. But he tried to remain calm. "Absolutely not. They evidently rebelled because they were not placed on the same mission."

"That does seem very likely," the superior agreed.

Now seeing their awareness of the mission records, Xigbar decided it was time to get to his proposal. But he had to bring it up in a subtle way, presenting points that they would need to see in order to respond the way he wanted them to. So he stood up and began casually strolling around the room. "Yep," he began, Xemnas' and Saix's eyes following him. "Their relationship is definitely getting in the way. First, their revolting actions revealed in the most recent issue of my magazine have brought shame upon the organization." Saix and Xemnas thought about that one for a second. They naturally did not approve of what Xigbar had _said_ Roxas and Xion had done, but they hadn't noticed the 'shame' Xigbar was talking about. But before they could question him, he continued. "And second, it _is_ distracting them from the most important thing – Kingdom Hearts." At that moment he paused by the window and gestured to the brilliant moon. By number VII and I's reactions, Xigbar could tell he had struck the topic that was dearest to them. "You know, it isn't getting any brighter…"

Saix gazed at Kingdom Hearts for a moment before paranoia forced him to think that the bright light of Kingdom Hearts was dimming. "No…that wretched little replica!"

Xigbar delighted in Saix's response but made no outward reaction to it. Instead, he just continued with his speech. He noticed Xemnas' intent look was urging him to go on. "It's ironic how their fake love is preventing them from one day being able to feel _real_ love. And being an actual person…_existing_. And it's quite selfish of them to prohibit the rest of us unfortunate souls from becoming someone. They are our key to becoming whole again, men. We are forced to rely on them."

The room grew silent as Xemnas and Saix pondered what had been said. Kingdom Hearts was power…everything they wanted. Everything they needed to accomplish their plan. Not just the quest to get their emotions back – but something much greater. And they were not just going to sit by and let their opportunity to accomplish it slip through their fingers because the keybladers didn't want to cooperate. At length, Xemnas spoke. "Their affair is foolish."

"We've known that from day one, sir," Saix pointed out. "But you did not want to do anything that would destroy their willingness to collect hearts."

"Number VII, we've discussed this before. Using force wouldn't cause them to use the best of their abilities to help us – they would only use the bare minimum. They would not respect us, resulting in the lack of desire to assist us," Xemnas responded most knowledgably.

The fact that Xemnas was still holding on to his tactic of logic displeased Xigbar, but he had a feeling Saix would be able to show him a different route of thinking. So he just stood back and let the two talk for a while.

"True," Saix agreed. "But letting them do whatever they want is getting us nowhere. Kingdom Hearts' light is fading – we need to act fast."

Xigbar interjected, allowing Xemnas to only reply with a nod. "Might I remind you, Superior," number II began. "Of what you told our 'dear' keybladers before. You told them that if their performance records dropped, you'd put an end to their relationship. And they've certainly dropped." He put emphasis on his last sentence.

Xemnas recalled himself saying that and cognized that it was the best thing to do. He _also_ knew from what he had observed that it would be _impossible_ to separate Roxas and Xion. Even if he tied them up and placed them in opposite corners of the castle, they would still find a way of meeting secretly. "Then that is what must happen. But how do we go about accomplishing it? You're all quite aware of his attachment to number XIV."

Xigbar's lips curved into a dastardly grin, his plan going almost perfectly. Xemnas had asked him the very question he desired. He turned away from the window and started towards them. "As long as Xion's alive, she'll _always_ be a distraction to Roxas," he told them. Saix and Xemnas both thought they knew what he meant, but to avoid any confusion they allowed the Freeshooter to continue. "So it looks like we only have one alternative…"

"Destroy the replica," Saix mused, stroking his chin pensively. He liked the sound of that; his lips started to form an evil grin. Finally what he had always hoped for was turning into reality. He had been waiting desperately for something to happen that would convince Xemnas to stop the disgusting behaviors in the organization.

Xemnas, on the other hand, saw a flaw in the plan. At that instant, a familiar voice floated back into his head.

"_No, he won't come back. Not without the girl he keeps calling for in his dreams."_

He had gone to great lengths to bring Xion back to the organization so Roxas would return as well. So why would he eliminate the very thing that was keeping the most important member there? It didn't make sense. But then a cold reality dawned upon him – neither Xigbar nor Saix knew about what Genie did. It was his goal to keep it all a complete secret, so he couldn't just explain it to them. And he wasn't even certain that they would believe him if he enlightened them. His thoughts were interrupted by Xigbar.

"Exactly," number II said. "We have to power to force Roxas to stay in Organization XIII, just in case the loon decides to get up and leave." He eagerly watched Xemnas' reluctant face, hoping to see a change. Now that he had Saix completely on his side, he believed getting the superior to agree would be no problem.

Silence crept in as Xemnas' mind swirled with thoughts. He finally decided to voice one of his thoughts, finding it not a dead giveaway. "But as I said before, if we force Roxas to do something, he won't do it well. He'll bear so much hate towards us…"

Xigbar was quick to interrupt, already bearing an answer for that. "_That's_ why we'll eliminate her in the night without her knowing. Then when he wakes up, we'll tell him she's already on her mission. And when he returns…well, we'll break the bad news to him. She was killed by many giant Heartless." Xigbar's voice got more and more underhanded as he spoke, quite proud of the plan he had thought up.

"Excellent idea," Saix commented, trying his best to hide his euphoria. "Xigbar deserves a promotion, don't you agree, Superior?" All eyes were on Xemnas now.

Xemnas released a light sigh as he considered the prospect. If Roxas didn't know they had anything to do with Xion's death, he wouldn't blame them. He would be depressed for a while, but he would eventually get over it. Xemnas would have to ensure that the members would be extra considerate towards Roxas during that period, but they would understand it was all towards the cause of Kingdom Hearts. Xion's performance record had always been lower than Roxas', so if he had to choose to dispose of one of them, she seemed like the better choice. And she was even less of a person than anyone else – a mere replica, nothing more. And her most serious offense was distracting Roxas from aiding Xemnas' ultimate plan. Bringing Xion and the other deceased members back to life had seemed like the best plan in the past, but now he realized that an aspect of it hadn't worked out. It was time to try something new. After a bit more consideration, Xemnas finally agreed – Xion needed to be stopped. "All right," he spoke. "We will annihilate Xion."


	62. Flight

Chapter 62 – Flight

"_We will annihilate Xion." _

Axel stepped back from the slightly-opened door, his hand heavy on his chest. He had had no idea that it would come to this. He had been merely walking over to Larxene's room in a state of self-examination when he heard Xigbar's voice and the mention of his former friends. Curious, he listened in – and now he was grateful and regretful that he had. Xemnas, Saix, and Xigbar were planning to_ murder_ Xion in secret. Xion…one of his best friends. The love of his other best friend who would be totally heartbroken if she was eliminated. Ever since the argument the previous night, he had felt this pang of guilt within him – and it was eating him alive. He had completed his mission half-heartedly and was as Larxene described "a total and complete bore." He hardly ate a thing; everything he put in his mouth reminded him oh so much of sea-salt ice cream. In fact, he was already composing an apology speech in his mind to present to the two the following day. And if he had not eavesdropped on the higher-members' conversation, he would only receive the chance of apologizing to Roxas. Xion…would be gone.

The thought then brought to mind the subject at hand: why would Xemnas kill Xion? She was a keyblade wielder, and more keyblades meant more hearts. And she and Roxas _could_ coexist, dissimilar to before the Genie had fixed things up. Suddenly, a thought dawned upon him. Xigbar had said that Xion and Roxas had failed to complete their missions…was it because of him? Were they so affected by their argument that they had no motivation at all to continue? Half of him doubted that he was worth that much to them, because they had each other after all. But the other half took responsibility on himself.

At that moment, Axel's ears caught a few words of Xigbar's planning. It became evident that the process was already underway – he had to act fast. He couldn't just let them kill Xion! He, nor Roxas, would ever be able to forgive himself! He had been capable of betraying Xion in the past, but he had changed now. He had spent too much time with Roxas and Xion to cast away the feelings he possessed. His friends meant too much to him to let a foolish argument keep him bitter. Speedily and stealthy he dashed down the hall, headed straight for Xion's room. His plan was to get her out of the castle as quickly as possible and then fill in Roxas with the details.

* * *

The room was dark and still as any room is when it has sleeping occupants. The only light source present was the glow of the curtains, caused by Kingdom Hearts outside. Roxas' light snores were the only sounds heard, along with an occasional crack from the settling castle. Roxas and Xion lay curled up together under the blankets of Xion's bed, dreaming of the unknown. They were totally oblivious to anything in the real world. That is, until they realize the shaking they felt wasn't a part of their dream. The first thing that returned to them after their feeling was their hearing.

"Roxas, Xion, wake up!" A whispering voice. Their eyes opened simultaneously in attempt to identify the intruder. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust, but eventually they could make out a dimly lit face. Axel's dimly lit face. What was _he _doing there? Trying to stop them from sleeping together?

Roxas was the first to respond. He sat up drowsily and scooted as far away from the painfully close man as possible. Because of Roxas' actions, Axel realized he hadn't been giving them much personal space and backed up a little. "What are you doing here?" number XIII asked. His voice didn't exactly sound pleased to see the pyro. "It's really late, Xion and I need sleep. And we don't care about your boundaries because you're not the boss of us anymore, traitor."

A sigh of frustration escaped Axel's lips when he realized the two were still bitter at him. He would have to give them the condensed version of his apology. "Guys, really, we don't have time for this! I'm really sorry about the argument! You were right, I shouldn't have deserted you! I should have kept my promise! I'm sorry, I really am! Please get it memorized!"

Xion was the first to notice the uncharacteristic urgency in his voice. He had never sounded so pleading in his life. Something was definitely going on. "Axel, what's wrong? Why don't we have time?" she asked, bearing the same urgency.

Axel took a deep breath before beginning, knowing he had to talk fast. "Xion, I heard them! Xigbar, Saix, and Xemnas…they're planning to kill you! Tonight!"

Even though it was dark, Axel could see Roxas' and Xion's eyes expand greatly. He could only imagine how shocked they felt. Roxas was the first to voice his alarm. "What?" he exclaimed, his voice cracking. Was Axel telling the truth? He recalled Xion saying she was in big trouble for butchering her mission, but would the organization really go _that_ far? On the other hand, with Xigbar's influence, it _was _possible. Xigbar had a way with twisting the truth. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around Xion and squeezed her in the most protective manner that he could. Xion was _trembling_.

"I'm afraid so…" Axel answered gravely. By the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, number XIII and XIV could tell he was telling the truth. He was looking at them straight in the eyes, a sign of his honesty. He really _was_ sorry for the argument, and cared enough to warn them!

After a moment of silence, Xion choked out, "They're going to k-kill me?" Anxious and desperate thoughts cascaded through her mind. Maybe her existence was too good to be true. All she had wanted was to be with Roxas…but maybe that was too much to ask for. Or maybe this was all happening because Namine hadn't been truthful with her – maybe Sora _did_ need her to wake up. Maybe Genie shouldn't have tampered with the way things were supposed to be…

Axel responded with a serious nod. He hated having to break the news to them, since obviously it was paining them. He had to give them _some _time to think before he dragged Xion out of bed.

At length, Xion spoke. "Well…" she began softly. "If that's the way it's supposed to be…"

But she was cut short by Roxas. "No!" he squawked. Xion's attention was immediately turned to him, and she could tell his eyes were filled with tears. "Please, Xion, don't leave me again! Don't sacrifice yourself! I can't survive without you!" he pleaded. "Xion, I love you!"

While Roxas continued his plea, the little hairs on the back of Axel's neck stood up. He sensed trouble – there was no more time to lose. "Guys, stop!" he exclaimed. The two silenced and turned their full attention to Axel, though they couldn't stop their trembling. "I'm not going to let this happen! Xion, you need to get out of here!"

Everything was moving too fast. Xion hadn't even gotten over the fact that she could be dead in a few minutes and now she was expected to leave. She didn't respond, hoping Axel had more to say.

"Hide in Twilight Town!" number VIII instructed. "There are so many small buildings there that there's no way they'll find you!"

Looking into Roxas' eyes made Xion's nonexistent heart break. He looked incredibly sorrowful, scared, confused, and who knows what else. He was about to lose his only love by either death or separation. "B-but…" Xion began. "I just can't leave Roxas!"

Axel knew time was running out – there was no point in arguing. There were some matters in which Xion was quite stubborn – not letting her have her way this time could mean the death of her. So he agreed. "Okay, fine, Roxas can come too! Now you two have _really_ got to get out of here!"

At Axel's okay, Roxas and Xion hopped out of bed and began roaming around the room frantically. Xion was searching for her most precious valuables, and Roxas was aiding her. He knew there was no time for him to go next door and get his things.

Every second that passed by just caused Axel to agonize more. "There's _no time_ to pack!" he shouted. "They're probably on their way now!" He hurriedly opened a dark corridor to Twilight Town, giving them no time to argue. They would have to leave in their pajamas. Feeling that they were walking too slowly, Axel flew behind them and practically shoved them towards the corridor. He was literally giving them no time to think.

But a second before the pyro had gotten them inside the dark corridor, Roxas felt a twinge of guilt. Exchanging glances with Xion informed him that she had experienced the same. They realized that the argument that had made them so bitter at Axel and had almost severed their friendship completely was utterly foolish. They had no right to get as angry at him as they had. And here was Axel, totally forgiving them and saving Xion's _life_. There was no doubt about it in their minds – they were rotten friends. Their turning around irked Axel, but once he noticed the tears in their eyes, he said nothing.

"Axel!" Roxas and Xion exclaimed simultaneously, their voices shaky from the tears. Out of apology and penitence, they wrapped their arms around his waist in an embrace.

"We forgive you," Roxas sobbed, the sorrow overwhelming. "But will you forgive us?"

"We've been awful friends," Xion added, soaking Axel's coat with her tears. "I don't even know why you want me to live…"

Axel couldn't help a compassionate smile as he wrapped his arms around his little friends. He was quite relieved that their friendship had mended, even though he didn't know if he'd ever see them again. At least he could get rid of the guilt that had been hounding him. "Of course I forgive you," he answered earnestly. He hugged the sobbing Nobodies a moment longer before breaking the embrace and urging them forward. "I'll miss you two."

Roxas wiped his tears on his sleeve. Amidst all the chaos, there was a speck of peace within him now that everything with Axel was right again. And he knew Xion felt the same. "Will we ever see you again?" he asked softly.

Axel managed his best smile, hoping it would cheer them up. Fleeing their home and living in fear without any belongings wouldn't exactly be a picnic in the park. "Of course," he reassured them. "After things have settled down here, I'll stop by for some ice cream. Oh, and I'll bring by some of your stuff."

Xion was able to smile amidst her tears. "Thank you, Axel. You're a _true_ friend."

The sound of footsteps interrupted their valediction. There was seriously _no_ more time left. Axel only had time to shove them through the corridor, unable to speak another word. Once the portal had closed behind them, he hastily opened his own dark corridor and transported to his room.


	63. Adjusting to New Life

Chapter 63 – Adjusting to New Life

Twilight Town lay silent and dim as Roxas and Xion roamed the streets. There were never many people around in the day time, but after nightfall it resembled a ghost town. The only light sources the young Nobodies had to guide them were diffused streetlamps placed ever-so-often, glowing a soft orange.

After a long uncountable period of wandering around aimlessly, Xion halted. Soon noticing the sound of footsteps behind him had vanished, Roxas stopped too, turning around. The sight of Xion sitting on the cobblestone pavement with a boot off, rubbing her sore foot, caused him to feel guilty. He had taken charge of finding them a place to stay overnight and had ended up only making matters worse. He walked back over to the girl and got down on his knees next to her. "Look, Xion, I'm sorry."

Xion paused her foot-rubbing and met Roxas' gaze. Sorrow…regret…guilt…all the happiness that was once in those ocean blue eyes of his was now gone. Xion doubted she would ever see it again. Sure they were now going to live together, alone, without any duties, but they knew not what was to come. How long would they be able to keep up their hiding? Organization XIII wasn't stupid; they couldn't secrete forever. And after all this was over…what would happen? They couldn't return to their only home and expect to be allowed happiness. Happiness…was gone. Forever. Xion brought her hand up to his cheek and rested it there gently, breathing softly as they communicated with their eyes. She could have decided to complain about how much her feet ached and that Roxas' plan, or lack thereof, was absolutely ridiculous, and state that women are smarter than men. But instead, sharing all the feelings he felt, she understood him. So she gently replied, "It's not your fault. I'm as shook up from all of this as you are…"

Roxas just nodded and closed his eyes, focusing solely on the soft touch of her hand. Thoughts of how sweet she was and how lucky he was to have her entered his mind and danced around for a moment.

"Let's just go to that place Hayner, Pence, and Olette hang out sometimes," Xion suggested, shaking Roxas from dreamland. "You know, The Usual Spot. They obviously live in houses around here so no one will be there at this hour. And I doubt they'd mind…"

Roxas was amazed at Xion's ability to think clearly and smartly, despite all the turmoil she was going through. "Y-yeah, that'd be good," he answered, the admiration never leaving his eyes. He carefully removed Xion's hand from his face before rising to his feet. Once Xion replaced her boot and accepted Roxas' offered hand to help her up, they were on their way to The Usual Spot.

The walk was longer than expected; navigating through all the alleyways and narrow adjoining streets of Twilight Town was not an easy task. Roxas had no idea that he had wandered so far away from familiar territory. More than once he led his girl into a dead end. However, they eventually made it.

Roxas pushed the curtain out of the way, revealing the teens of Twilight Town's hideout. He didn't know exactly how it was secret, as he figured Hayner's gang considered it, for how inconspicuous could it look? It was just a small alley fenced off with barbed wire and a curtain to block the entrance, after all. But for some reason, the trio trusted it with all their secrets. Roxas felt somewhat like he was intruding; scanning the area, he did see a few books that could be diaries. But on the other hand, he knew the gang pretty well and was sure they would be sympathetic to them. And it was only one night, after all…

As Roxas was busy deciding where they would sleep, Xion wandered around, performing her own little recon. Organization XIII _had_ instilled in her some habits, after all. Vexen probably would have been proud, even though she and Roxas were now the organization's enemies. As Xion strolled around the tiny space, she noticed a number of drawings and chicken scratch writings hanging on the walls. Once she approached a small book, she started to finger the corners. On the verge of opening it, she halted when Roxas spoke.

"Xion, I think we better leave their stuff alone," he told her. "After all, we don't exactly have permission to be here."

Xion nodded, walking away from temptation to Roxas' side. She felt a bit guilty for being a snoop, but she was just curious. But curiosity had gotten her into trouble in the past, so maybe it was for the better.

"So I guess we'll sleep here," Roxas said, gesturing to the old beat-up couch behind him. He then fell back on it, quite relieved to get off his feet.

Soon Xion was seated close to him, snuggling up against him to keep warm. Twilight Town nights weren't anything to walk around in pajamas in, and the long walk left them both cold and tired. She looked up, eyeing the curtain that covered the door. "That curtain would sure make a good blanket," she commented.

When Roxas' eyes met the curtain, he understood how Xion felt. Now that he had a chance to settle down, he did feel pretty cold. It was tempting…but there was something preventing it from being a blanket. "It would, but it's our only privacy. We better leave it up. We can just cuddle really close, I know you like that." Even though he smiled, Xion could tell it wasn't a genuine joyful smile. Roxas knew this as well.

"Okay…" Xion agreed reluctantly, scooting closer to the boy. Her shivering lessened after he wrapped an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. Feeling a bit warmer, she allowed her eyelids to close, and soon she found herself at sleep's doorstep. However, a lingering thought pulled her away. "Roxas..?" she asked.

Roxas, who had been just as close to sleep as she had, opened his eyes. "Huh, yeah?" he asked quickly, as any awakened man would.

Xion looked directly into Roxas' sleepy eyes as she continued. "Do…do you really think we're safe from the organization? This spot…it's not really secret." Apparently Xion had been having the same thoughts about secrecy as he had.

Roxas found it hard to hold her gaze; his eyelids became heavier and heavier. Gradually they began to close, and his last words before falling into slumber were "It's just for tonight…they won't search tonight. We'll rent a secreted apartment or something tomorrow."

Seeing that talking to the sleeping Nobody would be no use, Xion decided to try for sleep again. She curled up close to Roxas, tucking her legs underneath herself to preserve warmth. "I must get some sleep…" she told herself inaudibly. That was evidentially the only way to conquer the cold. But when one knows how much falling sleep is necessary, it becomes much harder to accomplish – _especially_ with a burdened mind. And Xion's mind was definitely feeling overburdened with all the thoughts swimming around inside. Wondering why Xigbar hated her so much, what would happen next, how they would be able to survive in Twilight Town…and primarily: was Twilight Town safe? Was that mysterious force still out there? …And could it come into the little hideaway any moment?

As a cold blast of wind blew the curtain aside and dispersed its chill inside the hideout, Xion felt an icy shiver crawl up and down her spine. All she could think of to comfort herself was lean her head on Roxas' shoulder and let him snore in her face. She didn't really mind though, for any noise he made was a comfort to her.

A clock being absent, Xion had no idea how long she sat struggling to sleep; it seemed like a millennium.

* * *

Relief came to Xion when she opened her eyes, finding light rays pouring into The Usual Spot. She had survived the night! Feeling a bit more relaxed now that there was light, she allowed herself to curl up more against Roxas' sleeping body, hoping to get a little more rest before Roxas woke up. She knew he'd want to start out right away finding the apartment he mentioned before drifting off to sleep.

But in too short of a time, Roxas' snoring came to an abrupt halt and his eyes started to open. His eyes only partly opened, he let out a long yawn before smacking his lips drowsily – all in Xion's face. By this time, Xion's eyes were open again and watching him, wondering what the dozy boy would do next. "Oh…morning Xion," he mumbled, his words slurred. He wore the dopey grin that he only wore when he was _barely_ awake and previously had a good dream. It was evident that he forgot about the present situation.

It was tempting to Xion to just let Roxas go on thinking that he was back in his warm soft bed in The Castle That Never Was and everything was rainbows and unicorns. But the uneasiness in her mind caused her to realize that the sooner they were somewhere more secluded, the better. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began to gently shake him, hoping it would lift the sleepiness from him.

"XiIIiIiiioooONNnnn," Roxas groaned, his voice vibrating from the shaking.

Noticing the irritation in his voice (for every sleepy person is irritated by their awakener), Xion stopped. "I'm sorry Roxas, but I think we should get a move on…we're really not safe here." She tried to be as gentle as possible as she spoke, hoping to lessen Roxas' irritation.

Roxas shook his head a number of times before opening his eyes fully, letting the scenery into his brain. He struggled to remember where he was and what had happened. After a few moments of looking from Xion's worried face to the surroundings and then back to Xion's face again, he started remembering. The Usual Spot. Twilight Town. Organization XIII was going to kill Xion but Axel sneaked him and Xion out of the castle. The great danger they were in. His plan for looking for an apartment. "Oh! I'm sorry!" he quickly apologized, bringing his hand to his forehead. "I just had a really good dream…"

Xion's interest was now perked. She rested her elbows on Roxas' upper-leg as she placed her head in her palms. "Oh, really? Tell me," she said, attempting a smile. This was probably going to be the highlight of her day.

"Well…" Roxas began, failing to hide the smile Xion's position produced. "We were on the beach on some secret island far, far away that no one knew about. We were safe and happy and had a family." His grin grew larger as he fondly recalled his dream.

Xion loved the idea; she wished it could be reality...and reality could be a nightmare she would wake up from. "That sounds nice," she remarked with a wistful sigh.

Roxas' smile turned bittersweet. Closing eyes, he could see the beach so vividly…the breeze blowing their hair…the peaceful waves lapping gently on shore…the seagulls flying and squawky joyfully…a little toddler walking clumsily as she tried to pick up seashells…_ "Why can't that be happening?"_ he thought bitterly, the sweetness in his smile disappearing. _"What does fate have against me?"_ At that moment his gaze fell on Xion and he realized how selfish that thought had sounded. _"What does fate have against poor innocent Xion? She's done nothing to deserve this…If…"_ But his thoughts were interrupted.

"I…I think we should start our search," Xion suggested. By the expressions he was making, she could tell he was having unpleasant thoughts and wanted them to stop as soon as possible.

"Yeah…" Roxas agreed, releasing one more sigh before starting to get up.

* * *

The town wasn't quite as lively as the couple had seen in the past, but it was a contrast to the previous night. A number of lights were on in houses, children and dogs played quietly in the street, and a few early birds were starting on their shopping. Everything was relatively quiet though, for there were still people asleep in their homes. Roxas and Xion stood at the entrance of Tram Commons, debating whether they should go further. Seeing other residents, they then realized how out of place they looked – they were in their wrinkled pajamas and their hair was tousled. They knew walking through town would trigger many peculiar stares. After all, it wasn't everyday that two teenagers decide to walk through the busiest part of town in such a sloppily-dressed manner. Twilight Town wasn't exactly a high-class neighborhood, but they were used to people looking civilized.

Xion took a step forward, about to head down, when Roxas took hold of her arm. "Wait," he cautioned.

The girl came to a halt and turned around to face him. "Why?" she asked. Was Roxas really _that_ concerned over his appearance? Her expression was of seriousness, concern, and inquisitiveness.

When Roxas noticed her expression, he realized that the tone he used to say 'wait' was too solemn. Now she thought something was wrong. "Um…" he began, releasing her arm and rubbing the back of his head. "I was just going to say that we don't have to walk through the square…there's an inn right there." He pointed to a small beige building on the right of them. It had a nice red brick walkway and a sign that read "Twilight Rest Inn" in bold letters.

"Oh," Xion replied, sounding quite relieved. It was quite an innocent mistake, but it caused a slight air of awkwardness. All the previous trauma made everything so complicated.

"Yeah…" Roxas said, feeling the awkwardness as well. He ran his hand through his messy spikes once more before taking Xion's hand in his. "Well, let's go."

It was a rather short walk, and soon they were entering the building together. The opening of the door caused a tiny bell to ring, drawing the attention of the man behind the desk. Luckily it was a slow morning, for the only person in the room was the receptionist. By the look on the receptionist's face, Roxas and Xion could tell he wasn't exactly excited to see them. His eyeballs moved up and down, scanning them from head to toe. All he saw were two shoeless messy-haired teenagers in pajamas. What could _they_ possibly want? Trying his best not to show his prejudice of hobos, he cleared his throat and asked, "Um…may I help you?"

An air of unease surrounded the three. Roxas wanted so badly to just leave, but he knew that would accomplish nothing. Hence he tried to act like everything was normal and he wasn't standing before a stranger in checkered pajamas. "Yes…we'd like a room," the boy said. His attempt to sound confident failed, only producing a squeaky unsure tone.

The man raised an eyebrow as he examined them more. "_One_ room?" he asked. They were definitely too young to be married, so he naturally assumed that they were falling into the trend of most modern teenagers. Being a rather grown and mature man, he forgot how it was like when he was fifteen and he looked down on those wild horny teenagers. He figured _these_ teens must be really wild and maybe even drunk – their appearance said so anyway. Though deep down he secretly hoped they were innocently brother and sister, maybe runaways. But the only thing that made them look related was their similar blue eyes.

Roxas looked to Xion for approval, receiving a nod. Xion didn't want to be separated from Roxas, especially now that she was in danger. Yes, she could defend herself, but if Organization XIII was to find her in the middle of the night while she was asleep, who would protect her? Roxas was not a deep-sleeper, while she was.

Roxas turned back to the receptionist. "Yes," he replied.

The man couldn't help but let out a sigh as he flipped through the guest-roster. Only a few people were checked in, and the truth was, business had been slow for a long time. Ever since the fancy super hotel '_Luxe de Déclin du jour'_ was built on the other side of Tram Commons, most of the old customers went there. It was the fanciest thing the residents of Twilight Town had ever seen. The prices were _a lot_ more expensive, but people were attracted to ruby rugs, crystal chandeliers, neatly trimmed gardens, fountains, and gourmet food. Twilight Rest Inn had none of that; the only things they could call 'garden' were the simple hedges in the front. And as for food? Pancakes, plain salad, and tough beef were their specialty. Putting all of that into perspective, the man really couldn't turn away _any_ customers – no matter how odd. "All right…I'll put you in room 17. That'll be 100 munny a night."

Roxas was busy searching through his pajama pants when it hit him – he had no munny. He wasn't one to sleep with munny on him (for he wasn't a philargyrist like Luxord), so he had absolutely _no_ munny with him. Starting to panic, he pulled Xion aside and whispered, "Xion, do you have any munny?"

Xion shook her head, puzzled at why Roxas was asking her that. It's not like she had secret compartments in her nightgown to stash things in. "No…don't you?" When Roxas shook his head, her eyes grew wide. "You don't? What are we going to do?" she asked in a very loud panicky whisper. This caused the receptionist to look up at them.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Roxas quickly shook his head. "N-no…we just decided against this place." He grabbed Xion's hand, and before the man could get in a full word, he scurried out of the place. There was no use in letting the man know they were broke – he wouldn't be able to help and it would ruin their reputation. It was bad enough he saw them dressed like they were.

The receptionist was utterly perplexed at what had just happened. Closing the almost empty guest roster, he let out a sigh. "Even the hippies don't like this place…"

"Harvey?" a voice asked. The man lifted his gaze to see his manger, Mr. Wild, come out of the backroom. "Who was just here?"

"Just some kids," Harvey answered with a shrug.

* * *

Roxas and Xion were on their way back to The Usual Spot, hoping to come up with a solution there. It was the better alternative to standing out in the streets, drawing attention to themselves. As they walked down the backstreets, they discussed their predicament.

"Axel rushed us out so fast that we had no time to get _anything_," Xion lamented, watching her feet as they progressed down the red brick path.

Roxas heaved a sigh. Conflict after conflict after conflict… "Well…maybe it's for the better that we can't afford to stay at that inn. It isn't exactly secret…"

"Yeah," Xion agreed. "And neither are apartments. But how will we survive without munny? Where will we stay? What will we eat? We can't go around stealing!"

Roxas nodded and rubbed his temples in deep contemplation. He was trying to think up some solution, but so far his efforts had been fruitless. "I know, I know, I'm thinking…"

The two Nobodies spent the rest of the walk in thought, keeping their eyes downward. It was not until they came upon three pairs of shoes – one blue and white, one yellow and white, and one camouflage – did they stop. Lifting their heads, they followed the feet up until they saw all of, and identified, their roadblock – Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Woah, Roxas, is that really you?" Hayner asked. He leaned down a bit, trying to see under Roxas' messy bangs.

"And…Xion?" Olette guessed.

Roxas and Xion wore confused expressions. Were they really _that_ unrecognizable?

"What are you two doing here?" Hayner asked. It wasn't every day the two paid the town a visit in their nightclothes, after all.

Examining them more, Pence asked, "Were you sleepwalking?" It was a logical assumption.

"No-" Roxas was about to explain when another question was shot at him and Xion. Xion, on the other hand, just stood there, hoping Roxas would answer the questions. She felt like he had a way with words and could explain better than she could. That's why she usually gave him the first chance to answer.

"Then why aren't you wearing your black coats?" Olette inquired.

"And why is your hair messy?" Hayner added.

"And why don't you have shoes on?" Pence asked, noticing the couple's bare feet. "Are you going 'hobbit' or something?"

Roxas waited for all the questions to stop before he even attempted to answer again. Once he got the trio's full _silent_ attention, he said in a low voice, "I can't talk about it here."

Hayner raised an eyebrow. What's with Roxas' secrecy? He figured any guy who would make out with his girlfriend in public wouldn't mind answering a simple question in public. "Okay…well where can you talk about it?"

Even though the question was addressed to Roxas, when the boy started scanning the area, Xion accompanied him. After a moment, it was actually she who came up with a solution. Being the first to notice that The Usual Spot was close by, she suggested, "Hey, let's go into The Usual Spot, okay?"

Hayner's first reaction was defensive. "How do you know about our super secret hideout?" he snapped.

The young Nobodies were slightly startled by Hayner's tone of voice. They figured his hideout was like a castle to him. "We stumbled upon it a while back when our organization instructed us to perform a reconnaissance here," Roxas explained simply.

"And it isn't _that_ hidden either," Xion added.

Their explanation satisfied Hayner and he felt a bit foolish for getting suspicious. "Oh. I-" At that moment, the sound of high-heels clicking on the walkway interrupted him.

"Someone's coming," Xion breathed. The expression of the receptionist appeared in her mind, remembering his reaction to their appearance. She was certain that the lady coming would provide the same reaction, and she would rather avoid further embarrassment. "Quick! In here!" she instructed, motioning towards The Usual Spot. She entered and waited until everyone was inside before hastily closing the curtain.

"What's with the paranoia?" Hayner asked, flopping down onto the beat-up couch. "It's just a person. There _are_ people in Twilight Town, you know." He ended his sentence with a chuckle.

"Another person seeing us would just cause confusion," Xion elucidated. "You yourselves were surprised by our appearance."

Hayner stretched out lengthwise on the couch, placing his hands behind his head. "You do have a point," he said, shifting slightly to get more comfortable.

"Anyway…" Olette interjected, clearing her throat. "Explain to us what's going on." Figuring the story would be long, she scanned the room for a place to be seated. There was a box, but Pence got to it first. She shot a glare at Hayner for taking up the whole couch, then gave up and sat on the ground. Roxas and Xion chose to remain standing.

And so the explanation began. Even though he trusted the trio, Roxas decided to give them the condensed version. There was no need to waste time with extra details, and the Twilight Town teens didn't even know what kind of organization Organization XIII was. As a matter of fact, they didn't even know about Nobodies. At points Roxas had a hard time weaving around the things the trio wouldn't understand, and that's where Xion stepped in to help. They ended up telling the situation like this: Organization XIII was brutally strict and they were going to punish severely, and maybe even kill, Xion for accidentally messing up. Their friend Axel had told them this and sneaked them out of the castle they stayed in, telling them to seek refuge in Twilight Town. Their flight had happened during the night, thus why they didn't have decent clothes or shoes. And there hadn't been any time to pack so they had no supplies.

Once the story was finished, it took the Twilight Town teens a moment before they could think of something to say. They all felt sorry for the two. Far away from home, hiding from danger, no place to live, no supplies…nothing like that had ever happened to them or anyone they knew before. Even Hayner, who liked to seem tough to the other guys, felt sympathetic. Olette, being the emotional female she was, was the first to speak up. "Wow you two…I'm so sorry."

"Yeah," Hayner agreed. He could only manage a quiet voice, still contemplating the whole situation. "I don't know what I would do if someone was trying to kill me or my girlfriend…"

Despite the gravity of the circumstance, Olette couldn't help but snicker, "Pfft, what girlfriend?"

Hayner was about to mention his imaginary girlfriend again when Pence brought the conversation back to soberness. "Your boss is terrible," he remarked, trying to distribute his weight equally on the box he was sitting on so it wouldn't cave in. "We promise we won't tell _anyone_ about you."

"Yeah," Hayner spoke, his mind back to reality. "Because I bet those guys are tricky! So even if they aren't wearing black robes, we won't tell them. Wow…those guys are such jerks! Have you ever been this ticked off before in your life? 'Cause I haven't. Nuh-uh, never!"

All of a sudden, Roxas heard an ear-splitting clang. Although it was short, it was quite painful as it echoed through his mind "Ngh!" he groaned, placing his head in his hands.

Immediately Xion was there for him. "Roxas, what's wrong?" she asked urgently, placing her hand on his shoulder. The trio watched them in confused silence.

Roxas waited a few more moments until the headache dissipated before lifting his head. The first thing he saw was Xion's concerned face, feeling immediate gratitude for such a caring companion. By the others' reactions, it became evident to him that he was the only one who had heard the clang. "That was…weird…" he muttered. Noticing the confusion on Xion's face, he quickly said, "Oh, it was nothing."

The teens waited a few more moments to ensure Roxas was all right before speaking again. "So you have no place to stay, right? Well do you have munny?" Olette asked.

Xion shook her head. "Nope, we don't. We don't keep munny in our PJs." Again, only Luxord would do a thing like that.

"That's tough," Pence sighed. "We would give you our munny, except we don't have any. The train tickets we bought last week left us broke."

Roxas was now starting to formulate ideas in his mind. How did he get munny in the past? Organization XIII didn't pay him, for they provided him with food and shelter, but how could he afford the potions and magic? "Oh, that's right!" he suddenly exclaimed, remembering the answer. "Xion, we could kill Heartless for munny!"

Since they had stumbled upon them a few times, Hayner, Pence, and Olette knew what Heartless were. They thought the idea was an excellent one, and wished they knew earlier that those creatures dropped munny.

However, Xion saw a defect in his plan. "Wait, Roxas, we can't," she told him. Even though the disappointed 'kicked puppy' expression appeared on Roxas' face, Xion forced herself to continue. "Organization XIII would surely know. They have a way of keeping track of Heartless killings, at least by their members. If Heartless were suddenly getting killed here, they'd know we're here. Or maybe we just wouldn't be able to use our keyblades, but I don't want to take any chances."

Roxas sighed, coming to the same realization. "You're right…darn, why do those guys have to be so smart?"

The teens spent another moment in silence, wracking their brains for a solution. At length, the light bulb in Pence's brain lit up. "You can make munny the way we make munny! Odd jobs!"

Of course! It was so obvious! Hayner wondered why he hadn't thought of that (maybe because he was picturing his imagery girlfriend again). He spent most of his summer vacations raking leaves, fixing mailboxes, cleaning litter boxes, and doing various other jobs - just to be able to afford ice cream and an occasional trip to the beach.

While Roxas and Xion were enthused with the idea, Olette was the one who saw a problem. "Wait, guys. If you're in hiding, aren't you not supposed to be seen? Your organization sounds clever; most likely they would stop by here and ask the residents if they've seen you."

The others groaned at the realization, disappointed that yet another plan had failed. It had slipped Roxas' and Xion's minds that the man at the inn had seen them already, so they had no reason for alarm. "Well if you can't be seen, there's really no way to get munny. Well, other than stealing…" Hayner pointed out.

"Nah," Roxas declined. Even though he and Xion worked for an evil organization, they did have _some_ integrity.

As they all took yet another silent period to think, Xion remembered something. When they had met up with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, they acted as if they could barely recognize them. All they had to do was escape their identity… "Well, we could always wear some sort of disguise…"

"Yes!" Roxas exclaimed immediately, grateful for Xion's brilliance (though the idea was actually quite simple). He paused, however, expecting someone to point out a flaw. Instead, the suggestion was received with much enthusiasm.

"Of course!" Hayner exclaimed. "And you guys could use aliases around town so you could act like normal teens!"

"Just not some stupidly obvious alias like John Smith," Olette pointed out.

"Yeah, or a name too close to yours – Rucksack and Shioni, for instance, wouldn't be good," Pence included.

The three Twilight Town teens talked amongst themselves, trying to come up with aliases for the Nobodies. One suggested common teenage names such as Jordan and Taylor, while another suggested old fashion names like Henry and Dolores. Roxas and Xion, however, weren't satisfied with any of their suggestions.

After a long fruitless period, Roxas decided that it was getting late and they should move on to something else. "We'll figure it out ourselves later," he told them. "Now the question is: where will we get our disguises?"

Hayner stood up from the couch and walked over to Roxas, examining him. Seeing the couch was free, Olette dove onto it, much relieved to rest her aching back. Slouching wasn't a comfortable long-term position. Hayner walked around Roxas a couple times and made a few gestures and pondering noises, imitating a French designer. "Oh, these rags, they _must _go," he said in disgust, tugging on the hem of Roxas' pajama shirt. "I envision you in a green tank-top, plaid vest, baggy cargo pants, and yellow sneakers. Oh, and I have this beanie that'll be perfect to hide your signature hair."

Roxas made a disgusted face at the color scheme, but he knew he had to bear it. If he went around Twilight Town in his favorite pattern, black and white checkers, any organization spies were bound to know who he was. "Fine…" he muttered.

Xion was excited to see Roxas in his new outfit, curious to see how he'd look. She'd never seen him in a beanie before. She was also eager to hear her outfit plans. "What about me?" she inquired.

Olette reluctantly pried herself away from the comfortable couch to inspect Xion. "You can wear this pink and green hoodie I have to cover your hair," she mused. "And underneath that I have this blue striped shirt you could have. You can always wear my purple shorts and military boots."

Before Xion could make any comments, Pence added eagerly, "And I'll throw in some sunglasses just in case you need them!"

"It's all settled then," Hayner declared with pride, retaking his seat on the couch before Olette could steal it again. He ignored Olette's scowl and continued. "You guys will do odd jobs so you can buy food; and even more clothing if you're not satisfied with our designer threads."

Roxas and Xion beamed brightly, extremely grateful for their friends' help. Living incognito in Twilight Town actually seemed doable now with everything laid out. They were about to attempt expressing their thankfulness in words when Roxas remembered something. "Yeah, but where will we stay? Even though we will be disguised, it would be nice to live somewhere secluded," he said.

Hayner sat up instantaneously, snapping his fingers. "Perfect!" he exclaimed in excitement. He was proud of how everything was falling into place, and he felt it was mostly his doing. "A while back while I was looking for a place for The Usual Spot, I came across this small abandoned building at the far side of town. The road to it is narrow – only people our size can get there. The only reason I didn't take it was because it was very old, dark, and dirty."

"Don't forget spooky!" Olette laughed. "_That_ was the reason why you didn't want that place."

"Not true!" Hayner immediately denied. He liked to pretend he was scared of nothing, while the other teens knew of a time his own shadow freaked him out.

Pence let out a sigh. Hayner and Olette seemed to always be teasing each other, sometimes at inconvenient times. He knew it was good-natured fun, but if they wanted to show Roxas and Xion the abandoned building, they needed to get a move on. Soon more people would be up and roaming the streets, making it harder to sneak by. "Guys, we should start heading there now," he urged, hoping to break up the 'fight'.

It didn't take Pence, Roxas, and Xion too long to convince Hayner and Olette to stop their banter and start the journey. Soon they were inching alongside a building, heading down a _very_ narrow street. Hayner was the leader of the line, being the most experienced in sneaking around. Pence followed in second, in front of Olette. Xion was behind Olette and Roxas was at the tail. The two Nobodies had to be especially careful as they took the backstreets, making sure they didn't step on any broken glass with their bare feet.

Hayner's route was complicated, and soon Roxas and Xion lost any bearing to where they were. However, they still made an effort to remember the route, feeling that they would have to take it often in the future. Hayner took them through narrow streets, behind buildings, in between buildings, over fences, on top of dumpsters, and through who knows what else. Even though it was daytime, the shadows the tall buildings cast left it quite dark. The two couldn't image navigating through it at night.

After an uncountable amount of time passed, Hayner stopped. "We're here, guys," he whispered, signaling for them to stop.

"Where's here?" Roxas asked, surveying the scenery. They seemed to be in a barren ally – no windows, no doors, no sign of life.

"I'll show you," Hayner whispered back. He approached a generic dumpster that was placed against the right wall. After grabbing hold of the rim, pulling, and failing to move it, he called out, "Pence, gimme a hand!" As soon as Pence gave a tug, the dumpster moved with ease. Olette couldn't help but giggle at Hayner's weakness.

The repositioning of the dumpster revealed a small door, about four feet high. It blended in well with the wall, being the same color and sporting a diminutive square doorknob. When Roxas saw it, he became apprehensive about Hayner's whole idea. The size of the door reminded him of the door in Wonderland, only somewhat larger than that. "Umm…Hayner? Yeah, I know Axel calls Xion and me short, but we're not _that_ short."

Hayner let out a laugh. "Pfft, I know that. That's what makes this place so secret and hard to get to. You're supposed to _crawl_ in."

Roxas reexamined the door; it _did_ look large enough to crawl in. "Oh," he said, feeling stupid for not realizing that.

Xion turned towards Hayner, not fully understanding how it was going to work. "So the dumpster hides the door, right?" she asked.

Hayner nodded. "Yup. Clever, isn't it?" He grinned with pride.

Xion wasn't too sure; she had a number of questions floating around in her mind. "When we enter, we'll put the dumpster back in front of the door, right?" After receiving another nod from Hayner, she asked, "How?"

Before Hayner could answer, Pence interrupted. "It's really not that hard to move," he told them. "Just reach your hand out and move it back, I guess."

Roxas approached the dumpster, planning to try moving it. He remembered Hayner's struggle and hoped he was stronger than that. Once he discovered it moved rather easily, he let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good."

But Xion still wasn't satisfied. "One more question," she said, turning her attention back to Hayner. "Is it lockable?"

Hayner's face turned blank – he really didn't know the answer. He had never considered it before. Xion did have a good point, for a lockable house would be _much_ safer, no matter how out-of-way it was. "Um, it should be…" He started scanning the ground with his eyes in hopes that there might just be a key around. He was about to give up his search when a small gleam caught his eye. He leaned down, and sure enough, he found himself picking up a small key. What luck! "Here you are, ma'am," he said with pride, presenting Xion the key. "Any more questions?"

Xion had none, so she looked at Roxas to see about him. He shook his head, feeling that everything that needed to be was explained. "Nope," she answered.

The narrow little alley was only silent for a moment before Pence remembered something important. "Oh, and for your identity's sake, only use your real names when you're safe inside this building." He tapped the wall a couple times with his palm. Xion and Roxas nodded in agreement.

"And it's best you only return here and leave here when it's dark out," Hayner informed. "You know, so people don't see where you live."

"Smart thinking," Roxas commented. He knew it was the safest thing to do, but he had a doubt in the back of his mind. How would he and Xion be able to navigate through it in the dark? However, Olette's next words answered his questions.

"I'll bring you guys some flashlights later today so you'll be able to find your way," the girl told them. But even before Roxas and Xion could express their gratitude, she continued. "Oh, and I'll bring your disguises too, and some food, and some blankets. You can't sleep directly on the floor, you know. Once you've earned enough money you can buy some sleeping bags."

Roxas opened his mouth to speak but was yet again interrupted. "Now if you guys need anything, don't to be hesitant to ask. Just meet us at The Usual Spot," Hayner encouraged.

Even though the trio usually hung out there, Olette knew there was a chance they wouldn't be there. "And if we're not there, just leave us a note," she told them with a smile. She hoped cheerfulness would distract them from the fact that they were still in danger, no matter how great of actors or magicians they were.

Now it became silent, allowing the two indebted Nobodies to finally get a word in. "I…I don't know what to say…" Xion began, a large smile on her face. However, even though she was impressed by their generosity and very thankful, she couldn't say she was feeling true joy. Living in a small old abandoned building wasn't as bad as somewhere out in the open, but she would still have preferred being back in the castle, on good terms with Organization XIII.

Roxas noticed Xion's mind wander, so he decided to continue the thank you speech. "You guys have been so generous with your time, your things, your ideas…When things get better, we _promise_ we'll repay you…somehow." Though the only idea that came to mind at the time was buying them ice cream, which was something ordinary to them. "Thank you." A grateful smile appeared on his face, and he wrapped an arm around Xion to show that they both felt that way.

"It's no trouble," Hayner said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're very welcome," Olette told them, grinning widely. It did her heart good to help them and see them at least a bit happy. She still couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes…or lack of shoes.

"You don't have to repay us," Pence said modestly. "We'd help our friends any day!"

"Still…" Xion began. "Thank you _so_ much." It was overwhelming to think of how their situation had been eased by the help of the trio. They now had some food, clothes, shelter, some security, a job…They were ready to start their new life.

Roxas and Xion tried to express their appreciation more, but they were at a loss for words. The conversation ended with Pence humbly insisting they stop thanking them and check out their new home. The two suggested that they come in too, but Hayner made up an excuse to cover up the fact that he felt too lazy to crawl. Roxas and Xion parted with their new friends with a few more 'thank you's and promises of repaying. The two little Nobodies just couldn't get over the fact that so much generosity had been shown to them. The feeling inside of them was similar to the feeling they felt when a few of the organization members had saved them from Marluxia's scheme.

As they crawled inside, the two decided to just spend the rest of the day together, and start their job search the next day.


	64. The Name Game

Chapter 64 – The Name Game

Darkness – complete, utter darkness. Roxas heaved a sigh, knowing he would have to get used to the calignosity. The new nook where he now dwelt contained no windows, thus no moonlight was allowed in. It sported a few cracks in the walls, so some daylight could enter during the light hours. But now, as he struggled to fall into slumber, all he saw was black. The boy was only reminded of the sleeping girl next to him because her light breathing was all that was audible. Being in a remote part of town, there was no traffic noise; an occasional faint train whistle, but nothing more.

After gently planting a remorseful kiss on what he guessed was Xion's cheek, he pulled the thin blanket over his head and tried to escape the thoughts that kept pounding on the door of his mind. When in complete silence with nothing to do, it is quite a challenge to do so. His mind was soon racing with possibilities of what would happen next. All he had planned for the coming day was job-hunting.

A few hours prior, Olette had dropped off a few necessities she and her friends had munificently donated. The two were currently lying on a number of blankets, while being wrapped in another. The blankets were thin and old, but a much-welcomed alternative to the floor. Along with the blankets, they also received two flashlights. Roxas and Xion had used them to navigate around their tiny house after sundown, but they also had to conserve the battery energy. After all, they would need to use them a good number of times each day when navigating through alleys. For this reason, Roxas didn't permit himself to use them as a nightlight. Another necessity the Twilight Town teens had supplied was food and water. They left a large number of snacks the Nobodies could eat for meals until they earned the money to eat out. Quite a few water bottles were donated as well. When the water was presented to them earlier that day, Xion had come to a harsh realization – their new home contained no indoor plumbing, meaning no bathrooms. After a long debate over what should be used, Roxas finally came up with the idea of releasing their waste in the abandoned dumpster. While Xion crinkled her nose at the idea, Roxas compared it a porta potty. Neither of them were crazy about relieving themselves in a dumpster (Roxas was content with a simple plastic bottle), but it was something they would have to adapt to.

After an incalculable amount of time, Roxas' mind finally eased up and he felt a sleepy haze set in. The lullaby of his girlfriend's soft breathing aided the process, and soon he was happily in dreamland.

* * *

The next morning's routines occurred aberrantly swift. Their day started as soon as sunlight entered the tiny cracks of their hideaway. Roxas and Xion would usually snuggle for as long as they could before leaving their bed, but now they had left the bed a minute after waking. Although Xion was still drowsy while she sat on their blankets brushing her hair, she didn't complain. Roxas had a good reason for waking so early.

Roxas stood in the corner of the room farthest from Xion. Once she complied and turned her back towards him, he started to change into his disguise. "We have to hurry and leave," he expressed, slipping into his green tank-top.

Xion arose, leaving her brush amidst the tangled blankets. Her back still to him, she spoke to the wall as she replied. "I know, I know. Turn your back to me so I can dress as well."

He obeyed, but his half-on pants forced him to hop around. Practically tripping, he stopped himself before his nose collided with the wall. "Darned baggy pants…" he muttered. Glancing at the light entering the cracks, he became more anxious. "Hayner said we have to leave here when it's dark out, but we overslept!"

"_You_ overslept," Xion corrected with a giggle, adjusting her pink and green hoodie. "I was awake an hour before you, just watching you sleep." Something had awoken her that particular morning that even she did not know. Sleepy hazes can cause you to forget things, in addition to saying or thinking stupid things. All the raven haired girl could remember was jolting awake and realizing she had rolled off the blankets and was Eskimo kissing some dust bunnies.

Roxas almost turned around in surprise but caught himself, remembering that Xion was dressing. "Really?" he inquired, slipping on a pair of yellow sneakers. "Why didn't you wake me?" Xion knew they had to sneak out under the cover of darkness – why'd she let the sun arise before them?

Xion hung her head, guilt seizing her. Roxas was now very stressed, his mind filled with worries about being caught. While she was worried as well, she understood why he was allowing it to impact him more. Being the male, he felt responsibly for her. Anything that happened to her was considered his fault. Such pressures put on someone so young were bound to make an effect. There was a reason why in modern cultures people married when they were older, wiser, and more mature. Roxas was just a fifteen year old boy, practically taking on the role of a husband. He had been taken care of by the organization for his whole short life – living on his own was quite an alteration. All Xion could do was be there for him, comforting him until he got used to his immense amount of responsibly. "I'm sorry…" she apologized. "It was dark and I didn't know what time it was."

As Roxas rested his head against the wall, his vision grew fuzzy. His yellow sneakers morphed into yellow blurs as fretfulness possessed him. Only when he felt a hand on his shoulder did his vision return to normal. After slowly turning himself around, he was greeted with the sight of Xion in her disguise clothes. However, it wasn't much of a disguise yet because her hood was not on. "You like nice…" the boy uttered, attempting to calm down. He had never seen her in that color scheme before, and although he would consider Xion beautiful even if she wore a paper bag, he had to admit it – those colors looked stunning on her. He, on the other hand, felt dorky in his colors.

Though Xion was grateful for the compliment, she ignored it; she had more important matters to discuss. Her grip on the boy's shoulder tightened as she looked directly into his eyes. "Roxas, I know how much you're worried, but you really need to calm down. Stress only clouds your mind – you can't think clearly. Please…try to calm down…"

After analyzing the genuine concern in Xion's eyes, Roxas' gaze returned to his sneakers. "I'll try…" he muttered.

Xion pulled him into a brief half-hug before walking back to where their items were stored. "And don't worry," she added, carefully examining the sunglasses that were given as a part of her disguise. "It's only barely light out. The shadows are probably as dark as ever."

Roxas nodded in agreement and then slipped his beanie over his hair carefully, as not to disturb his adored spikes too much.

Once their disguises were fully on, the time came to depart. As the couple examined the small covered doorway, they could tell it wasn't going to be an easy task.

"Here, let me try something," Roxas requested. Xion took a step back and watch inquisitively as he kneeled in front of the door. In experiment, he turned the tiny lock on the knob, unlocking the door. However, when he attempted to open it, it only opened a crack. Roxas felt Xion's presence draw nearer as he slipped his hand through the crack. "I feel the dumpster!" he declared. He placed his inside hand flat against the door to keep balance while his outside hand exerted force on the dumpster. After a few grunts and odd expressions, his ears were met with the much-welcomed sound of rolling wheels. More dim light streamed into the room.

After the two Nobodies had crawled their way out into fresh air, Roxas was sure to lock the miniature door and replace the dumpster.

* * *

A flashlight was not required to navigate through the shadowy alleys of Twilight Town, but there was enough darkness to conceal them. Once they had traveled far enough away from their dwelling, they began to take more common roads. There was no danger in being seen now that they didn't look like themselves. Since they had received their disguises from genuine Twilight Town citizens, they wouldn't look out of place either.

As they headed for Tram Commons, they found themselves on a quite populated street. Tiny dogs roamed free as many people walked about. Xion smiled and nodded her head slightly to a group of children playing hopscotch on the sidewalk. A pair of elderly women, most likely twins, waved to them as they passed. Canaries were perched on street lamps, chirping ardently. It seemed like everyone on the street, save a few grumpy middle-aged folk, were outside enjoying the fair weather.

"Everyone here is so friendly," Xion whispered to Roxas, waving at a nice-looking couple.

Roxas smiled in agreement, taking interest in a certain terrier chasing its tail. "They are. It's nice to be out in the open for a change." Being a member of a secret organization had its disadvantages. The only people in Twilight Town the two were familiar with were Hayner, Pence, and Olette – certainly not the only pleasant folk in the community. How much were they missing out, not living a normal teenage life? Roxas wondered if maybe this change was for the better. While he missed Axel and a few other members, he couldn't help but consider the possibilities – was he going to enjoy this new life more? Or was the old life what was meant for him? Did he want or need the old life alive again? It was only his second day away from home, but he couldn't help wondering what the future held.

After passing three elderly women discussing things over tea and fruit tarts, they turned onto a more secluded street. It wasn't as ghetto as the alleys near their home, but no one was on it. Because nobody else was around, they could speak more freely. Thus began their mental quest for aliases.

Roxas stroked his chin with his thumb in deep concentration. It took a few moments of vigorous searching through his mental 'data banks' before a thought dawned upon him – he didn't know of many names.

Xion turned her head and looked at Roxas from under her oversized hood. "So have you come up with any names we could use?" she asked in a quiet voice. Even though they seemed to be alone, she was cautious about preserving their identities.

Roxas shook his head somberly. "No," he responded, watching the brick patterns change as they walked along. "All the names I know of belong to people. Yeah, the people here don't know an Aladdin or a Hercules or a Peter Pan, but those names aren't common Twilight Town ones. And we obviously can't take any of the member's names, or Hayner's, Pence's, or Olette's."

Xion nodded in agreement. "You're right," she spoke. While she tried to conjure up any usable names from her memory, her eyes scanned the scenery. The desolate street they walked on was narrow and rather cluttered. Miscellaneous articles of trash were strewn about the firebrick path. A short ways away, Xion noticed a green trash receptacle lying on its side. Either the wind had knocked it down, dispersing the trash, or someone did. Her blue eyes were constantly in motion, performing another silent recon. The information she gathered about those people's way of life by just looking around fascinated her. There were so many other cultures out there, totally different from anything she was used to. A new thought entered her mind as they continued to walk on – Vexen's lectures. She was surprised to realize that the thoughts about recons that were just in her mind were taken from the lectures she would sit and yawn through. And now she was fascinated by the topic. After a little more thought, she figured it was more interesting because she was experiencing it on her own, not being forced to do it. A glimpse of something orange and yellow then brought her mind to a whole new topic. There, among the strewn trash, was a sea salt ice cream wrapper. With a soft tug on the hem of Roxas' tank, she gained his attention and directed it to the wrapper.

Upon seeing the wrapper, an image passed through his mind – one of him, Axel, and Xion joking around and eating ice cream on the clock tower. A dull pain arose in his gut. He turned his focus away from the litter and onto the raven-haired female. "Do…do you think we'll ever be able to eat that stuff again?" he ventured, a soft poignant haze in his eyes.

Xion smiled lightly, hoping to brighten the mood. Her fingers gently curled around his hand. "I'm not going to give an over-emotional speech about keeping hope alive, but I believe so. Though we can't now, because it'll be a dead giveaway, we'll eventually be able to."

Roxas' lips arched into a gentle grin as he lightly squeezed Xion's hand. "Yeah. Let's continue to see if we can think up some new names." Although his hunt had thus far been in vain, he hoped Xion's would prove more fruitful. As they returned to their silent brain-racking, his eyes followed the trash they bypassed. Once a grayish piece of paper caught his eye, he paused to investigate. Xion stopped as well, curious as to what Roxas had found. "Looks like an old newspaper," he observed, picking it up cautiously by a corner.

Intrigued, Xion stepped closer. "What's the date on it?" she inquired.

Holding it up by two corners, Roxas shook off small pieces of unknown debris from the newspaper. In attempt to answer Xion's question, he rotated it a few times until it was right-side-up. He brought the paper closer to his face, for the writing he was looking for was too small to read normally. The tip of his tongue slid out of the corner of his mouth while he squinted his eyes, striving to make sense of the grungy characters. The dark shades he wore made it even more difficult to read, but he felt safer with them on. "Hm. I guess it's not as old as I thought," he notified. "It looks like yesterday's date."

Xion took a few steps closer until she was alongside him, peering at the newspaper. "Interesting. I wonder if it mentions Heartless problems. I really hope not, or organization members will be sent here," she commented quietly.

"Organization XIII members will be sent here anyway," Roxas whispered back, turning the page. He began to inspect it for any articles about Heartless. "It's one of their known worlds, and search parties will be sent out everywhere. We'll just have to lay low or be really good actors. As we walked through the streets, I noticed a few things about Twilight Town accents. For one, they pronounce-" However, he cut himself short when something on the page jumped out at him. "Hey, look over here!"

Moving even closer to get a good look, she was almost stepping on his foot. But Roxas was too occupied to notice. "What, what?" number XIV asked eagerly. "Something about Heartless?"

"Nope," Roxas answered. "But I think our name problems are over!" He pointed his index finger to a section on the wrinkly paper. There were two long columns with titles over them, reading "boy" and "girl". The main title of the section was "The Hottest Twilight Town Names of Today".

"Perfect!" Xion enthused, grabbing a corner of the newspaper to help support it. After reading a few of the names listed, she commented, "Well, I've never heard of these, but it says here that they're the 'latest thing'. I'm sure these are just what we need." She reviewed the size of the columns, picking out a few names to read as she went. Her nose crinkled as she came across a certain one. "Ew…Delyse. I'm glad there are a lot of names to choose from."

Roxas' head nodded in accordance. "Yeah, I'm not too crazy about some of these names myself." As they started to go through the list, Roxas began to realize it would take some time to find names they liked. So far none of them were really impressive. Glancing around the scenery, he located a wooden bench on the side of the walkway. It looked quite inviting to his aching arches. "C'mon, let's take a seat," he suggested. "This may be a while." Hooking his arm around her waist, he brought her over to the bench. They seated themselves simultaneously and continued to read the name list.

Most of their name reading was done in silence, each of them concentrating on their own column. Only on a rare occasion would they see what the other thought of an iffy name, though they never came across one that they were sure about. Some names were so odd that they weren't even sure how to pronounce them. Sure, their names - as well as the organization member's names - were strange, but they were used to them and knew how to pronounce them.

After going through about half of the list, Xion decided to express some more of her feelings about the names she read. Although she had been concentrating, the silence was starting to annoy her. The only noises they had heard since they stopped vocalizing were a few distant trail whistles and random far-away words of the shoppers in the next sector; the most memorable being "Hey, Hue, look at this lamp shade!" Coming across a particularly abnormal name, she broke the silence. "Twyla…?" she stumbled, not exactly sure how to correctly pronounce it. "Twilight Town sure has some odd names."

Roxas released a chuckle. "Heh, tell me about it. Would anyone really want to be named Manville? It sounds…"

"Like a village full of men," Xion finished humorously. Turning her attention back to the listing, she became aware of something. "These names aren't even in alphabetical order…" After a moment of consideration, she added onto that thought. "Well, not that it really matters. It's not like I have a favorite letter or anything."

"Same," Roxas added pleasantly. After passing over 'Emory', 'Hobart', and 'Iggy' on the list, his eyes locked onto a certain name that tickled his fancy. "Hmm…Bladen. Sounds nice."

Xion's eyes left the girl column and focused attention on the boy names. Once she found the name 'Bladen', she looked up at Roxas. "Yeah, it does sound pretty nice," the girl approved. She took a long look at the 'new' Roxas – beanie, sunglasses, and all. "And you do look kinda like a Bladen in that outfit."

A wide grin bejeweled Roxas' face. "Okay. Bladen it is," he decided pleasingly. The name reminded him of long pointed swords, which was something he took interest in – though no one would really guess it, since he only fought with a keyblade. That aspect served well, for the name he chose wasn't a totally telltale sign of his identity. He waited eagerly for Xion to find a new name, hoping she would enjoy it as much as he enjoyed his.

Xion returned Roxas' grin, but not in size. Hers was fainter. Even though she had no objection to the name, she was hesitant about the whole thing. Its necessity was a fact she cognized, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to get used to it. She adored Roxas' name and to her, he would always be a Roxas. He could never be anybody else. Apprehensive thoughts spiraled through her mind. Would she get used to calling him Bladen? Would she ever accidentally slip up and call him Roxas? Would she blow their cover?

"Found one yet?"

Roxas' voice liberated Xion from her grasping worries. She quickly looked up to meet his gaze, not wanting to show any sign of distress. Roxas would just get all worried after he had finally started to calm down. "Huh? Oh, nope. Not yet." She looked back down at the paper, noticing her finger's position. "I'm almost at the bottom."

Roxas looked over at her column in interest. "Here, I'll try to help you…" His gaze locked onto her finger and then trailed down below it. "What about the name…Jetta?" Before Xion even had a chance to respond, he spoke again. "Nah, you don't look like a Jetta…Hmm…" Thus the hunt continued. A few moments later, he found another suggestion. "Cherry?" This time he let Xion reply.

Number XIV shook her head. "Nah, too edible," was her response. Once Roxas had suggested a few more names she wasn't fond off, she decided to try seeking once again. Her azure eyes peered out from under her hood, inwardly pleading for the right name to jump out at her. And, much to her surprise, it did. "Hmm…I kinda like 'Lexi'," she mused.

Roxas looked up from the ratty newspaper, contemplating the suggestion. He turned his sights to Xion, examining her in the manner she had previously done. It took him a lengthy silent period before he finally came to a decision. "Yeah, it fits. I like it." He smiled warmly at her.

"Okay," Xion concluded. She crumpled up the newspaper and slipped it into hoodie pocket, figuring it might come in handy if they ever forget their aliases.

Roxas' grin expanded as he began to speak in an overly-dramatic voice. "From now on the world will know us as Lexi and Bladen, the epically awesome kick-butt couple from Twilight Town!" He stood up from the bench, throwing a fist up into the air. Xion looked up at her bizarre friend, raising an eyebrow. Noticing her expression, he drew back, retaking his seat. "Or, you know, Lexi and Bladen, the average teenage couple from Twilight Town." This time his voice was much quieter and less enthusiastic.

Xion was nodding in satisfaction when she noticed something in what Roxas had said. "Oh, if we're supposed to be an average teenage couple, then we better do it right." She stood up from the bench and dramatically threw her right arm up, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. "Oh, Jacob, how could you do this to me?" she cried in a mockingly over-emotional voice. "I give you the best days of my life, and what do you do? You dump me! We had been going out for, like, ever! Today was going to be our two-day anniversary! But no…! You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to get REVENGE. Yes, revenge, Jacob!" She threw her arms wildly around as if they were noodles. "I'm going to go on Facebook and post a breakup song by a popular singer as my status! And I'm going to like lots of passive-aggressive pages! Because you hurt me _so_ much, Jacob!"

By the time Xion finished her dramatic presentation, Roxas was in the middle of a laughing fit. When he finally managed to calm himself down, he asked, "What on earth was that?"

Xion shrugged, sitting back down next to him. "I was watching TV one day when I came across a show where that happened. I asked Axel what it meant, and he said it was the average teenage couple's lifestyle," she explained.

Roxas let out a final chuckle. "That's a really great mockery. And from what I've seen on TV, it's pretty spot-on," he complimented. He thought back to an instance where he came across a show called _"There's No Difference between Love and Hate"_. All he could remember from the show were some people who didn't even look human – their faces were either too pale or too rosy, they had dark rings around their eyes, and their lips were always a saturated color. All the girls would ever do was yell at their boyfriends, cry, and dump sodas on their heads. All the guys would ever do was yell back at their girlfriends, complain about girls being unreasonable, and flirt was other obscenely dressed women. He was incredibly grateful that his relationship with Xion was _nothing_ like that. Turning his attention back to the present, he remembered what their next task was. "So, Lexi, shall we begin our job hunt?" he asked Xion, trying out her new name.

Xion turned her body so that she was sitting sideways on the bench, facing Roxas. "Okay, Bladen," she answered simply. However, when she started to move in closer to him, Roxas became confused. What was with the sudden affection? He hadn't even said anything romantic. Xion's face continued to inch closer until they were nose-to-nose. Placing her forehead against his, she gazed into his stunningly deep blue eyes. "Even though I'll have to call you Bladen," she began in a very soft voice. "You'll always be my Roxas._ Always_."

Roxas' eyes slowly shut, reveling in the peaceful moment. "And you will always be my…Xion," he whispered back, savoring the feeling of the name roll off his tongue. He knew it'd be a while before he'd be able to freely say his favorite person's name again.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**- I'm sorry if you don't like the names Lexi and Bladen, but they were the best I could find. I'll always love Roxas and Xion's names much much more, but the aliases seemed necessary. Everyone has different name preferences, so obviously I can't please everyone.**

**- I'm also sorry if your name happened to be one of the ones Roxas and Xion didn't like. The way I picked them was I found a list online of least common names and chose from there. I personally don't know anyone with those names.**

**- The reason the guy's name was Jacob in Xion's dramatic teenage life mock scene is because it was on the top of the list of the most popular guy names I found.**


End file.
